


the fine line

by HeavenlyDusk



Category: All For the Game - Nora Sakavic
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fairy Tale, Cinderella AU, Flowers, M/M, Magic, Raven!Neil, i have no idea where the flowers came from they snuck up on me, riko has a sick infatuation, some language of flower stuff that may or may not be important
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-06-15
Updated: 2017-07-31
Packaged: 2018-07-15 05:19:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 42,426
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7209461
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HeavenlyDusk/pseuds/HeavenlyDusk
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Nathaniel would prefer to lay low while in the rivaling kingdom. He has three weeks until he can go back to living a relatively peaceful life as a servant, but those plans change when he's dragged to a ball he has no right being at.</p>
<p>Prince Andrew isn't about to just let him leave after one dance, but it's hard to find someone who doesn't technically exist.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [HelloImOz](https://archiveofourown.org/users/HelloImOz/gifts).



> AKA the Cinderella AU no one asked for, to quote whoever said that first.
> 
> I had an urge to write a fairy tale au, and this seemed like the most plausible. (I cannot see Andrew kissing some random boy he's never met before to wake him up) I can't believe I'm writing this when I have other things I should be doing...  
> (The Nathaniel/Riko is only like 3/4 my fault ok it's for plot)

The castle was in a buzz. Nathaniel knew perfectly well what was going on, and that meant he was running around preparing too. He was lucky to have been working for eight years, and therefore, he was hardly tired by the time he was able to rest.

To be perfectly honest, Nathaniel had no idea why everyone was so excited. They didn’t have many ties with other kingdoms, and the Fuchs Kingdom didn’t really like them. The feeling was mutual, of course, but for some reason, the people of Karasu were still excited.

That was a lie. Riko was only pretending to be excited. Nathaniel was pretty sure that Ichirou couldn’t really care less, and Tetsuji and Kengo were just hoping that this would mean something for them. Kevin was more nervous than excited. The servants were hoping that the trip would be mostly peaceful. It was really the civilians and the nobles who were excited, even though most of them wouldn’t be leaving.

“Nathaniel.” Nathaniel was easily able to recognize Kevin’s voice due to his softer tone. He turned and nodded politely to him.

“Your Majesty,” he said. Kevin frowned, but that expression quickly dissolved into indifference.

“No one is around,” he said. “You can call me Kevin, you know.”

“That is hardly appropriate,” Nathaniel respond simply.

Kevin Day wasn’t actually a member of the royal family by blood, but he was adopted by Kengo after a respectable noblewoman, Kayleigh Day, had passed. No one knew who his father was, and he had no other family, so it was either Kengo or an orphanage. A noble could hardly be stuck in a rundown place like that.

Nathaniel had come in a few years later, so they had basically grown up with one another. At first, it was okay to talk to each other as though they were equals, but time passed and Nathaniel knew there would be consequences if he spoke to Kevin familiarly. His first slip-up had been the last one.

“Whatever,” Kevin sighed. “Anyway, Riko was looking for you. You should hurry. You don’t have anything to finish, right? He’s in his room.” Nathaniel nodded again.

“I’ll go now,” he said and started heading towards Riko’s quarters.

Nathaniel stood outside the large doors of Riko’s room and knocked. He only had to wait a few seconds for an affirmative before he slowly entered the room.

It was almost intimidating, how dark and bland it was. Riko was a simple person, and the only touches in the room that made it his was the exy racket leaning against his desk, as well as a few newspapers and books. Otherwise, it was plain and black and red, like everything else in the castle. Nathaniel was used to it.

“Your Majesty,” Nathaniel called out. Riko turned in his seat to look at him and smiled. It was soft, but Nathaniel knew better than to assume that it was anything other than dangerous.

“Nathaniel,” Riko greeted. “Good, you’re here. I had something I wanted to discuss with you. Sit.” He gestured to his bed. Nathaniel sat gingerly, cautiously, because he didn’t know what was going on. He waited for Riko to start speaking again, knowing not to speak out of turn.

“You know we’re going to Fuchs in a few days,” Riko said matter-of-factly. Nathaniel nodded, and he continued. “You are our most prized servant. You would be the head of all our staff, if you weren’t eighteen. Therefore, I would like to request that you join us on our outing. Jean will be coming along as well, of course.” Jean was Nathaniel’s incentive. He knew he couldn’t say no, not that he would have even if it weren’t for Jean. Riko would get angry.

“I would be honored,” Nathaniel answered, his face lacking any true emotion.

“Good.” Riko’s smile was full of teeth. “I’ve already gotten my dear father’s approval, so all you need to do is pack and continue your preparations.” He said ‘father’ as though the word was venom. Nathaniel pretended not to notice.

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“You’re dismissed.” Nathaniel stood up at his words and smoothed out the sheets on Riko’s bed. He didn’t miss the fleeting touch over his cheek, where a ‘3’ was tattooed on his skin. He forced himself not to flinch and nodded to him, letting him get his fill of the recent development before exiting the room.

He couldn’t truly breathe until he was far, far away from the room.

* * *

“I’m not excited for this,” Jean grumbled in low Abeillan as he assisted Nathaniel in packing all the bags onto the carriage.

“Do you think I am?” Nathaniel huffed. Jean glanced around to make sure no one heard his indignant tone, but nobles hardly paid much attention to a servant boy.

“Why do we have to come along again?” Jean asked, doing a mental check to make sure they had everything before going to grab his and Nathaniel’s bags.

“Riko wished it so, and the Master doesn’t see any problem with having a few more competent servants,” Nathaniel said. They loaded into the servant’s cart. It was a lot less extravagant than the royals’ and nobles’ carriages, but it was nothing they weren’t used to. “It helps that we’re on good terms with the royal family.”

“Ahem,” a maid coughed, looking at them pointedly. “Either talk in a language we all understand or don’t talk at all. That’s rude, you know.” Jean shot her an unimpressed look, but Nathaniel nodded his agreement.

“Sorry,” he said, smiling apologetically. He wasn’t, in any way, truly sorry, but she took what she could get.

Nathaniel was the youngest servant being brought along, Jean being the second youngest. Anyone being brought along was older and more experienced. Admittedly, it was only them and three others since there were others waiting in the house the Moriyama family owned in Fuchs. They were just brought along for the personal needs of the royal family, since they knew them best in comparison to those servants.

It wasn’t long before the carriage started moving. It would be a long time before they would reach the rivaling kingdom. The cart was silent, none of the servants willing to talk. Nathaniel’s seniors were too serious, too hardened, to speak. Jean felt too uncomfortable in the silence to speak.

Nathaniel settled for watching the scenery pass as they rode. With nothing to busy himself with and his only comfort being Jean’s cold presence beside him, he felt himself growing tired. He rested his head on Jean’s shoulder. He wasn’t all too comfortable, but Nathaniel had slept on worse, so after some shifting, he was able to fall asleep.

The older servants were used to this. Everyone knew that Nathaniel didn’t swing any way. It was a platonic gesture, and even if it weren’t, homosexuality wasn’t taboo. They knew not to speak of Nathaniel and Jean to Riko, though. As coldly polite they were to each other, they liked the boys. They didn’t want Riko to retaliate.

* * *

“Nathaniel,” Jean muttered, easily awaking the smaller boy. He was a light sleeper, and the only reason he was able to sleep somewhat peacefully on the ride to the Fuchs was because he had time to get used to the rocky terrain.

“Are we here?” Nathaniel asked, his voice surprisingly clear for someone who just woke up. He sat up and stretched.

“We’re about to pull in to the estate,” Jean told him.

“Thank you,” Nathaniel said.

The carriage slowed to a stop. The servants exited the cart and grabbed the bags before allowing one of the resident butlers to show them inside. Nathaniel was quick to assist Riko while Jean went to assist Kevin. If they could, Jean would have attended to Riko, but he had declared Nathaniel his personal manservant when needed and there was no arguing with him.

Nathaniel paid careful attention to where Riko wanted him to place his things. The room was unfamiliar, and disturbingly bright, at least as far as Riko was concerned. They were used to the dark of Evermore castle.

Nathaniel gave his work a once-over, making sure that everything was placed as Riko had instructed, and then turned to him in case he wanted anything else. Riko took hold of his chin none-too-gently and turned his head, looking at the tattoo on his cheek again.

“I trust you aren’t having any problems with the ink?” he said. Nathaniel didn’t move to shake his head.

“No, it’s fine,” he answered. He would be lying if he said he wasn’t constantly aware of it, but he knew it wasn’t infected or irritating in any way. The artist would get severe punishment if it was.

“It’s a good look on you,” Riko commented, stepping back with a satisfied expression. “I’m glad you and Jean finally agreed.” _I hardly had a choice,_ Nathaniel thought privately to himself.

“Will this be all, sir?” he asked.

“Yes, you’re dismissed.” Riko smiled. Nathaniel hurried out of the room, although he tried to make it look as though he had all the time in the world. Riko’s smiles were never warm. He thought they looked cruel.

* * *

Nathaniel and the other servants hardly had any time to rest while they helped the royal family settle in. The resident servants knew little about the high expectations of the Moriyamas, so it was up to them to tell them and make sure they knew not to get them angry. Overall, Riko had the worst temper, but the fact mattered little. Anyone who crossed the Moriyamas would be punished. Riko took great joy in punishing servants.

Gabriel instructed the cooks on each member of the family’s preferred tastes and how to go about preparing them in the cleanest way possible. Vera took to ordering the maids and warning them of any misdeeds. Jean and Nathaniel assisted in any mundane chores to the best of their abilities, which were better than the regular servants since the jobs in Evermore were much harder to do. All the while, Adalena scurried around to make sure no one was slacking off, as she did back at the castle as head maid.

A majority of the family stayed in their rooms. Occasionally, Tetsuji would come around, his smile charming but his eyes deadly if anyone were to cause any trouble. For the most part, everything went smoothly.

Kevin was happy to wander the area rather than stay cooped up in his room like everyone else. That was one of the things that made him different from the Moriyamas. He certainly didn’t like people, but he didn’t like isolation either.

“Nathaniel, there you are,” Kevin called. Nathaniel was helping a maid carry some china to the dining hall. He turned and smiled at him.

“Your Highness,” he said. The maid was quick to echo him, bowing her head as she couldn’t curtsy with precious items in her arms.

“No time to rest, huh?” Kevin said. “Don’t run yourself ragged. Be careful.”

“I won’t,” Nathaniel promised. It was a lie, and he knew Kevin knew that, but he didn’t point it out. “Did you need anything specific?”

“I was going to ask if you fancied a game, but I see you’re busy,” Kevin said. Immediately, Nathaniel realized he was asking if he wanted to play exy. He was hardly surprised that Kevin brought his gear. Jean had been complaining about it earlier, and he knew that Kevin was pretty obsessed. They used to play together as kids. Riko and Kevin were the ultimate team. Duties took hold when Riko and Kevin were fourteen, and there was little chance to play together again. Nathaniel missed the game, but his job was much more important.

“Maybe tomorrow,” Nathaniel said. “We’ll see if I have any duties, but you know Prince Riko.”

“Don’t I know it?” The laugh Kevin let out was fake, but the maid didn’t notice. She was blushing. That was a sure sign that she couldn’t tell it was a plastic laugh. “Again, be careful. I’ll be in the gardens if anyone asks.” He started off again with a wave, but then paused as something crossed his mind. He walked back over to them quickly.

“Yes?”

“The ball is in a weeks’ time,” Kevin told him. “Afterwards, we’ll be staying a while longer for the coronation, so we’ll be here three weeks.” It was a message, as subtle as Kevin could make it. Nathaniel knew how long they would be there. He would be a horrible servant if he knew nothing about their trip. Kevin was warning him that Riko might try something. Nathaniel wasn’t sure what type of something he would try, but Nathaniel was usually around when it happened. He knew to be cautious, and it was most important to not make any friends.

“I’m aware,” he responded. Kevin nodded.

“I’ll see you later,” he said and walked away again.

“You know the Prince Kevin personally?” the maid asked, awe in her voice as they began to walk to the dining room again.

“Not personally, per se,” Nathaniel said, humming lightly. “I’ve been attending to him and Prince Riko since we were children. It’s natural that some sort of camaraderie developed.”

“Still, that’s amazing,” the maid said. “I wish I had those sorts of connections. You must be really lucky.” Nathaniel smiled. It was humorless, but she barely noticed.

“I wouldn’t go that far,” he told her. “I mostly just do my job. There’s nothing truly special about that.” And perhaps there wasn’t. He was suddenly all too aware of the bandage still wrapped around his stomach, hidden by his clothes. He would have to change it later.

* * *

Everything began to die down by the time dinner rolled around. The servants steered clear of the dining room, unless they were the chefs who were serving the meals and the maids who were pouring the drinks. There were only five members of the royal family, so it was a large, empty table. None of them were very talkative. The only real sound was that of the servants bustling around outside.

Nathaniel and Jean finally got their well-deserved rest. They sat in silence out on the back lawn. Nathaniel breathed in the smoke of his cigarette. Jean didn’t smoke, and he honestly disliked the smell, but he didn’t say anything to Nathaniel.

“This is going to be a long three weeks,” Jean said. “Think we’ll be okay?” Nathaniel looked at him, looked at the barely concealed worry in his eyes and the ‘4’ on his cheek, and he shrugged.

“We’ll be as okay as we can be, I guess,” he answered. “It can’t be much worse than Karasu, right?” That sounded like bullshit, but he was willing to try. He didn’t think he really had much room for hope, though.

“Don’t jinx it,” Jean said, scowling. Nathaniel chuckled and gently bumped his shoulder with his. He didn’t really want to go back inside.

“Nathaniel! Jean!” Adalena called out for them. “Come back inside! You have things to do!” They exchanged looks and sighed. Nathaniel threw out the cigarette and began heading inside. Jean squeezed Nathaniel’s shoulder in a comforting gesture. Nathaniel tried to smile. Jean didn’t look convinced.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Fuchs** = fox  
>  **Karasu 「烏」** = crow; raven
> 
> For anyone confused, Karasu is the kingdom and Evermore is the main city where the castle is. Anything that hasn't been explained is likely intentional and will be explained later. And before you get mad at me about Neil being OOC, he's raised as a lowly servant to the Moriyamas. He has to survive, and so he can't really have emotions. Don't worry, our sassy little Neil still exists somewhere.  
> As for Kevin, it's hard to be our beloved (drama) queen when he has to be grateful that he was taken in.
> 
> EDIT: Changed French to Abeillan. Abeille has French as its national language basically, but it's not necessarily France. It'll probably be explained in later chapters.
> 
> It's a relatively short chapter, but I'm the type of person to like just jumping into plots so oops. Any grammar mistakes are likely a result of it being late.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I actually finished writing this chapter like 13 hours ago, but I wanted to finish this other thing before updating.  
> Honestly, do not expect fast updates like this. I'm just really excited and obsessed with AFTG right now, so that's the only reason I wrote this so quick. The chapter is still too short for my liking though...

Nathaniel didn’t have that chance to play exy with Kevin. Everyone was still in the buzz from being in a new kingdom, so there were still things he needed to do. His work was significantly lighter than the resident servants’, but he was still Riko’s manservant and he had to clean up after him.

Nathaniel was able to watch Riko and Kevin play exy, but he wasn’t allowed to play it. Kengo thought it was an idiotic sport, and that a servant had no right to play with the princes. Nathaniel was there to mediate and bandage them after their inevitable injuries. It was only pure luck that Nathaniel knew how to play nurse, but he was uncomfortable being so close to the both of them. Kevin knew this, and Riko didn’t care. Nathaniel had learned to keep his mouth shut.

After breakfast, Riko and Kevin had a game. It looked friendly, but Nathaniel knew the both of them well enough that Riko would be trying to kill Kevin if they were truly on opposing teams. Even though it wasn’t an official game, Riko still tried his best to break Kevin in any way. Kevin was in no way as fast as Nathaniel – not that Nathaniel would ever admit that out loud – but he had quick enough reflexes to be able to get away from him.

The game ended with Riko’s team winning 5-3. Both sides were worn out, but Riko and Kevin had easier times breathing than their teammates. It was only because they went through much rougher drills that they were able to do so.

They were both bruised and bloodied in their own way. Nathaniel hesitated before helping Riko first. He carefully dabbed away the blood and bandaged whatever looked severe enough. He forced himself not to shake – out of fear or nervousness, he wasn’t sure – and stayed a careful distance away until he could move on. An actual nurse was there to help with whatever Nathaniel missed, so she took care of whatever else he didn’t do while Nathaniel moved on to Kevin.

“You okay?” Kevin murmured in quiet Abeillan. He scanned Nathaniel’s body, as though he was the one covered in injuries. Nathaniel nodded subtly, not smiling in case Riko was looking at them. Knowing him, he was, and he would get angry if he saw Nathaniel smiling. (Or flirting, as he would say)

“Yes, your Highness,” he answered. Kevin frowned, but as always, he said nothing else. He let Nathaniel clean him up again, a lot more comfortable than he seemed to be with Riko, and then he moved on again.

It took a while, but he and the nurse got through all the players and let them head to their quarters to rest or continue with their own duties. Nathaniel was about to go inside to the kitchens, but he was stopped by Riko, unsurprisingly.

“Nathaniel,” he said. Nathaniel turned and acknowledged him with a nod. “Later, I have to go into town and go to the tailors. I’d like you to accompany me.” Nathaniel knew nothing about fashion or fabrics. He was no seamstress, and he was okay with whatever clothes he had as long as they covered his body and let him get his work done. Either way, he was fully prepared to agree.

“Absolutely not!” the nurse said before Nathaniel could even open his mouth.  “You are injured, and a prince cannot go out looking like a mess!” Riko glared at her. Nathaniel looked at her frantically and reached out to get her attention.

“You have no authority over me,” he snapped.

“As a nurse, I do,” she sniffed, hardly intimidated. Nathaniel briefly thought that there was something about women that was just terrifying, but Riko was a prince, and he could still get away with ruining her life.

“It can’t be that bad,” Nathaniel said. “I think he’ll be fine.”

“He can send someone else to go with you,” the nurse said firmly. “He needs to rest for the day.”

“You cannot tell me what to do,” Riko said through gritted teeth. Nathaniel knew he was trying not to lash out. He wouldn’t be able to, not while they were out in the open.

“I have your father’s permission to do as I please if I believe it will assist your help, so yes, I can,” the nurse retorted. “Write down what the boy must do and I’ll find someone to go with him. He’ll get lost on his own, surely, so it will be someone from Fuchs.”

“I do not-“

“I don’t care. Go to your quarters, your Highness. This is for your health.” The nurse leveled him with a piercing glare. She left no room for arguments, and with a frustrated growl, Riko stalked off.

“I don’t think that was entirely necessary,” Nathaniel said. The nurse had Kengo’s favor, sure, but that didn’t mean Riko was entirely helpless. He didn’t want anything to happen to her.

“I can take care of myself, boy,” the nurse said and pat his shoulder. With some contempt, Nathaniel noticed how she was taller than him.

“Still…”

“Oh, don’t worry your pretty little head.” The nurse chuckled. “I wasn’t lying though. I will find someone to help you at the tailors’.” Nathaniel nodded.

“…Thank you,” he said quietly. She smiled comfortingly at him and then walked off. Nathaniel still felt worried for her, but he was a survivor. At least he wouldn’t have to be with Riko for any longer than necessary. He could cast off his worry in favor of that thought.

* * *

When the nurse had said that she would be finding someone to help Nathaniel out, he hadn’t been expecting her to bring a Fuchs noblewoman to him. A servant with a better sense of fashion, sure, but not Allison Reynolds.

Nathaniel didn’t know much about nobles from other countries, but he knew enough from rumors and news.

Allison Reynolds was the only daughter in the noble Reynolds family. She was disowned from her family after refusing an arranged marriage and deciding on a love for exy instead, but she had managed to snag much of her family’s fortune and she stayed with some cousins that didn’t mind her choices. Even though she was definitely able to break a man’s arm with her own hands, she still wore her hair in neat curls and only wore the most sophisticated clothes that showed her figure. Her noble background was easily noticeable.

“Hey, Nathaniel, right?” Allison looked at him with a judging eye. He fought not to fidget and nodded.

“Yes, Miss  Reynolds,” he said.

“Call me Allison,” she said nonchalantly. “Do you have any fashion sense at all?” She looked at his clothes with thinly veiled disgust.

“These are standard clothes for servants…” Nathaniel said, but even he had to admit that his clothes were subpar at best.

“They’re horrendous,” Allison sniffed. “Good thing I brought a cloak with me!” She smirked. Nathaniel couldn’t help but think that she had planned this as she threw it over his shoulders and clipped it into place. The white silk hid most of his clothes so he looked like a traveler. At least, he looked like a nicely dressed traveler of some sort. Allison flipped the hood over his head and nodded to herself before stepping back.

“Thank you, Miss Reynolds,” Nathaniel said. He wasn’t actually thankful, but it was polite.

“ _Allison_ ,” she insisted. “None of that ‘Reynolds’, okay? You’re too polite, kid.”

“…I’m eighteen…” Nathaniel muttered.

“Younger than me!” Allison grinned and clapped his back roughly. “I think we’ll get along just fine.” She turned and started to march out of the estate. Nathaniel hurriedly followed after her, the cloak billowing behind him in a way that was much too dramatic for him.

(Nearby, Jean snorted. Nathaniel looked like an idiot)

“Do you have Prince Riko’s instructions?” Allison asked, looking at him as he slowed to a walk beside her. To his chagrin, she also seemed taller than him.

“Yes,” he answered and handed the parchment to her. She gingerly took them and scanned the list. She began to read it off to him. Being a servant, Nathaniel wasn’t supposed to know how to read. He didn’t correct her, and instead listened carefully.

When she reached the end, Nathaniel expected the rest of the walk to be silent. Allison had other plans.

“So what’s a boy like you doing as a servant to the Moriyamas?” she asked, handing the parchment back to him. Nathaniel glanced over it quickly before answering.

“My father had a debt to pay,” he said stiffly. “I was the payment. It’s hardly anything new.” It was as much of the truth as he could manage. If servants weren’t born into their jobs, it made sense that they were sold, so it was no strange occurrence.

“A surprisingly boring answer,” Allison hummed, sounding a bit disappointed. “You’re cute enough that, if it weren’t for your clothes and the little bits of dust over your skin, I would have thought you a noble too.” Nathaniel was willing to blush rather than jump at the comment.

“Me? Cute? I don’t…” Nathaniel knew about Riko’s infatuation with him, yes, but he never considered himself particularly exceptional in the looks department. Handsome and charming were Kevin and Riko, and Nathaniel could admit that Jean could be cute sometimes, but he never thought about himself like that.

“Oh, don’t tell me you haven’t noticed!” Allison laughed. When Nathaniel didn’t answer and his face burned brighter, she stared at him. “Wait, you’re serious?”

“Yes.” He carefully avoided using her name, not wanting to informal but also not wanting to get yelled at for not using her first name.

“Well, you are cute,” Allison told him. “Seriously, look in the mirror.” Nathaniel didn’t like looking at his reflection, but he nodded anyway.

“Um, if you don’t mind my asking, why are you the one going with me?” he asked hesitantly. It wasn’t that he was afraid of her retaliation. She seemed like a good person, but he was so used to judgmental stares every time he spoke to someone of a higher status with informalities.

“I know the nurse, and I was bored,” Allison said. “There’s nothing to do other than play exy, and I’m not that insane as enjoyable as it is. This is better than constantly being hounded on my parents about marriage and our noble line or whatever.” Nathaniel nodded, this time in true empathy. He didn’t know if his understanding showed on his face, but he really did understand where she was coming from. In the past, Kevin had talked to him about those things too, and Nathaniel had his fair share of expectations.

“Oh, and also when I saw you, I knew I had to get you into better clothes,” Allison added thoughtfully.

“I don’t need new clothes!” Nathaniel said quickly. Allison gave him an unimpressed look and looked him up and down again.

“Yeah, sure,” she scoffed. “There’s the shop.” She pointed to a nearby shop. It was large, and obviously high class. Nathaniel was suddenly grateful for the quality cloak, as it made him feel a little less out of place. He hurried to open the door for Allison and let her enter first. Allison sighed and shook her head at him, but stepped inside and led him to one of the seamstresses.

“Allison,” the seamstress greeted warmly, smiling.

“Good afternoon, Emmeline,” Allison said as a genuine smile crossed her face. “I’m not here for personal business this time. I’m actually here as a favor.”

“Oh?” Emmeline raised an eyebrow, but then she noticed Nathaniel standing a little ways behind Allison. “Excuse me, sir. Please take off your hood.”

“Ah, sorry.” Nathaniel slowly lowered his hood. He felt rather self-conscious, with his face on display and his tattoo out in the open. Emmeline decided not to comment and looked at Allison again.

“So, what have you come here for, then?” she asked.

“Keep this a secret, but…” Allison leaned closer to her and lowered her voice to a murmur. “Prince Riko Moriyama of Karasu wants a handmade suit for the ball next week.” Emmeline’s gasp was barely heard, but her expression was quite clear.

“I’ll be happy to assist you in any way I can!” she declared. “Did he have any specific demands?”

“Nathaniel?” Allison looked to him, and he nodded. He stepped forward and began to recite what Riko had asked of him. Occasionally, he glanced down at the parchment to make sure he wasn’t missing anything. He didn’t have a perfect memory, after all.

“That sounds doable,” Emmeline said once Nathaniel was finished speaking. “It should be done the afternoon before, at most. I have an idea of his measurements, but I will need him to come in to make sure.”

“We’ll try to get him to come in two days,” Allison said. Emmeline nodded.

“Alright,” she agreed.

“Thank you, Miss Emmeline,” Nathaniel said honestly, smiling politely at her. She blushed lightly and waved him off.

“None of that ‘miss’, alright?” she said gently. “Just call me Emmeline.” Nathaniel nodded.

“We’re sticking around a while longer, by the way,” Allison said.

“Wait, what?” Nathaniel tried not to gape at her, but his jaw still hung open just a bit.

“I told you we’re getting you clothes,” Allison reminded him, her hands on her hips. “Now, let’s go look around.”

“But, his Highness-“

“-Can wait a while longer.” Allison grabbed hold of his wrist and started towards one end of the shop. “I am not letting you go back until we have at least three more outfits for you.”

“Where are we supposed to put them?” Nathaniel asked.

“Why do you think I brought the basket?” Allison held up the empty basket she had on her arm and shook it a bit. It was the basket that his cloak had been in. Nathaniel considered arguing, but Allison was already skimming through everything. He sighed and let her be.

Nathaniel looked around the shop absentmindedly. It was surprisingly empty, but that might have been because only the rich and powerful could really pay for the items. The fabrics looked expensive. Not that Nathaniel actually knew anything about that.

Other than himself and Allison, there were the seamstresses, a middle-aged woman with her child, and a pair of blond twins. One of them was shamelessly staring at Nathaniel. He would have been concerned, except his almost dead eyes looked more affronted by his clothing than anything else. Nathaniel raised an eyebrow when he caught his eyes. The boy rolled his eyes in response and looked away. His brother snapped something at him, and he responded calmly.

Nathaniel looked away. There was nothing to look at. Then Allison’s actions caught his eyes.

“…Allison, is that pile necessary?”

“It is very necessary. Shut up and try these on. Decide which ones you like best.”

* * *

There were way too many things that Allison had picked for him. Nathaniel picked the easy route and chose what would cover most of his skin. Unfortunately, she had only picked out more form fitting fabrics, but at least they hid his body. With the final decisions made, he changed into his normal clothes and hooked the cloak over his shoulders before heading back out into the store.

“What is it with you and that cloak?” a voice said beside him. Nathaniel had noticed the presence of someone else nearby, but he hadn’t thought they would be interested in talking to him.

“It was a gift from my friend,” he said, turning to the blond. It was the twin that had been staring at him before. Nathaniel recognized him from his slightly more muscular build and the different way his hair was parted. His clothes were slightly different in color, too. Apparently, he favored black over the national colors of orange and white.

“You mean Allison Reynolds, or someone else?” the blond asked, jerking his head to where Allison was conversing with Emmeline.

“Yes, it was… Allison,” Nathaniel responded after a short pause. He had to break himself out of the habit of politeness around her.

“You don’t look like someone who would spend time with nobles,” the blond commented. “You don’t look like anyone really. I don’t recognize you.”

“I’m only visiting,” Nathaniel said shortly. He wasn’t about to tell a stranger that he was a servant to the Moriyama royal family. The people of Fuchs didn’t like them, and he didn’t need any more hostility in his life.

“Does that mean you’ll be here for the ball?”

“Doubtful.” Nathaniel wasn’t allowed to go. Technically, the ball was for both nobility and civilians, but Nathaniel was a servant. The only reason he would go would be to assist Riko or Kevin, and he wasn’t really needed for that. He didn’t particularly want to go, either. No doubt someone would take notice of him, and he disliked attention. It was bad enough that most people in Evermore knew him.

“Well that’s a first.” The blond’s previously bored expression lightened a bit at that single word. It was only barely there, but Nathaniel still noticed that small spark of interest in his eyes. “Why wouldn’t you want to go to the ball?”

“I just don’t feel like it.” Nathaniel shrugged.

“The royal family will be there.”

“And?” The blond didn’t respond for a few seconds. He looked to be assessing him, trying to find some sort of opening in whatever lies he seemed to think Nathaniel was telling. Nathaniel didn’t know what he saw, but whatever it was had him backing off.

“Do what you want,” he said at last. He looked to be about to leave when Nathaniel noticed something.

“Oh hey, you’re shorter than me,” he said absentmindedly, blinking in pleasant surprise. The boy didn’t give him a response other than a threatening glare. Without so much as a goodbye, he turned on his heel and walked over to his twin, who looked irritated. That was another difference between them. One of them showed his emotions and one of them looked otherwise dead to the world.

Nathaniel walked over to Allison and dumped the pile in her arms, keeping the three outfits he had chosen. Allison pouted, as though she had wanted him to choose more. He gave her an unimpressed look, and with a sigh, she went to put away everything else. Then she went to pay for his choices.

“Wait, I have money,” Nathaniel said.

“This is my purchase,” Allison told him, wiggling her finger at him. “Let me do this for you.”

“I can’t possibly-“

“Nope!” Allison fished her money out of whatever pocket she had them in and handed them to the woman waiting for them. Nathaniel sighed for possibly the tenth time that day. Allison smiled as the woman carefully folded the clothes into her basket.

“I hardly think you should be spending money on me,” Nathaniel told her, although at that point, it was futile.

“I like you, so I’m doing this for you,” Allison said. She turned to the woman and thanked her. Then she headed out and Nathaniel, of course, followed.

Allison didn’t say anything for a while after that. Eventually, the smile had faded as there was nothing to smile at, and she had a contemplative look on her face after that. Nathaniel didn’t really trust that.

“Hey, Nathaniel,” she spoke up at long last.

“Yes?”

“That boy who was talking to you… What did he want?” she asked slowly.

“I’m not sure, really…” Nathaniel shrugged. “He asked me about the cloak, and then asked if I would be going to the ball. That’s about it.” Then, before he could stop himself, he asked, “Why?”

“You mean you don’t know who he is?” Allison asked, sounding honestly shocked.

“I haven’t been to Fuchs before now,” Nathaniel explained. “It’s not that strange.”

“…I guess…” Allison looked to want to say something, but decided against it and shook her head. “Whatever. It’s nothing.”

“Are you sure?”

“I’m sure.”

* * *

Allison shoved the basket into Nathaniel’s arms when they reached the estate and she pressed a kiss to his cheek. Nathaniel’s face burned red, and she just grinned at him.

“Take care,” she told him, gently clasping his hands. “I might be around again.”

“Oh, um, okay,” Nathaniel stammered. She laughed and pat his shoulder.

“Miss Reynolds.” There was vaguely masked anger in Riko’s voice as he spoke. Nathaniel almost recoiled, but he kept his composure as he turned to face him. He willed the blush away and stepped away from Allison.

“Your Highness.” Allison curtsied, looking for all the world that she would rather do anything else.

“I hope you aren’t trying something with my servant,” Riko said coldly.

“I was just saying goodbye, sir,” she told him. She had lost the carefree smile and only had indifference on her face.

“And what have you given him?” Riko eyed the basket suspiciously.

“Clothes,” Allison answered. “I bought them with the hopes that you would appreciate them on him.” That was a lie, but Nathaniel knew she was saying them to survive. Riko could do what he wanted to her, so she figured out what to say to appeal to him.

“Nathaniel.” He didn’t say anything else, but Nathaniel knew what he was asking and handed the basket over to him. He looked through it briefly, and then nodded to Allison. “Do not assume things of me. This better be worth my while. You may go.” Allison nodded and curtsied once more. A servant came at Riko’s beckoning and showed her the way out.

Riko looked at Nathaniel and then turned to head back inside. Once again, Nathaniel knew without prompting to follow him. He led him into his room and shut the door before grabbing Nathaniel’s arm tightly. Nathaniel didn’t flinch, even through the pain the pressure put on old wounds.

“Do not let her so close to you again,” Riko hissed, leaning uncomfortably close to him. “You know what would happen if you do.” Nathaniel nodded. He was faintly aware of how tense he had become the moment Riko had appeared. He hadn’t even noticed how he had relaxed with Allison.

“Yes, my lord,” he said. Riko nodded and pulled back after another too-tight squeeze. He ordered him to bring the basket to his room and then do his work. Nathaniel complied without complaint.

It took him until well after dusk to finish his tasks. By the time he was finished, he wasn’t really sure if he would be able to move without hurting in the morning.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope no one was too OOC?


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *damn near has a heart attack when an author I like gives this kudos*
> 
> Anyway, I think I forgot to mention this before, but yes, there will be magic in this. Why? Because Cinderella and also hair dye takes way too long to wash out. Neil doesn't have that sort of time.  
> I have no idea why I'm writing this so fast, but again, don't expect much from me! This might just be because it's summer or smth, idk, but seriously, don't expect frequent updates.
> 
> In any case, I went over this three times and thank god for Hemingway App because it helped me find that I used the word "really" wayyyy too much. So enjoy!

Riko did like the clothes. Nathaniel wasn’t sure whether to be pleased or disturbed. Luckily, he wasn’t forced to wear them at all times, but Nathaniel suspected it was largely because he didn’t want anyone else to look at him in them.  _I’m disturbed,_  Nathaniel decided later.

Jean just shook his head and squeezed his shoulder. Nathaniel wasn’t actually sure if the gesture was a sarcastic apology or a genuine one. Knowing Jean, it could be a mixture of both.

Nathaniel was pretty sure that the chores from the day before were his punishment. Riko couldn’t afford to keep him so soon after Allison brought him back, so making him do a lot of jobs was the next best thing. It didn’t change his performance the next day, though, even as his body was aching in protest. Nathaniel didn’t fancy the idea of getting reprimanded.

Kevin, ever observant when it came to him, noticed the altered way Nathaniel began working so he could actually do his job. He took him aside as soon as he could to hiss demands on what had happened. Nathaniel told him the truth: Riko had given him a lot of jobs to do the day before. He didn’t mention that it was punishment, but Kevin understood that already.

Nathaniel didn’t let him get angry before he told him that Kengo was looking for him for whatever reason. He used that as an excuse to get away from him, and he ducked out of the empty corridor to head down to the stables.

A few servants were gossiping by the horses. They didn’t abruptly stop as Nathaniel neared, which assured him that they weren’t speaking of him. They didn’t bother to lower their voices either, so Nathaniel heard snippets of their conversation.

“…-rew and Aaron are going to be at the ball.”

“What? They never attend these things!”

“I know! It’s exciting, isn’t it?”

“Think they’ll be looking for wives, then? Is that what the ball is about?”

“Wouldn’t Prince Nicholas be the one finding a wife, though? He’s the eldest.”

“He’s not of the main line, though. The Hemmicks are just Regents.”

“Also, I hear Prince Nicholas is-“ Here, the servant lowered her voice further, but Nathaniel still heard her fairly well, “gay.” The others gasped.

“No!”

“Poor Prince…” Nathaniel had to agree with the servant’s mumbling.

It was no secret that the Hemmick patriarchy was a devout Christian. He held the old beliefs that homosexuality was a sin, and he was openly hostile to those who were gay. Nathaniel wasn’t actually sure about the Queen regent, nor was he sure about the values of Fuchs, but he thought that that was absolute bullshit. If Prince Nicholas Hemmick really was gay, Nathaniel was a bit worried about his home life.

But that wasn’t any of his business. It wasn’t his right to care about the affairs of a royal family, much less one of the rivaling kingdom. No matter how Nathaniel worried about others, it wouldn’t matter, so Nathaniel kept his worry for Jean and Kevin and no one else.

As Nathaniel finished preparing the equipment in the stables, one of the gossiping servants stepped forward.

“Ah, yes?” Nathaniel looked at him, his expression bland as he saw him step forward.

“You’re Nathaniel right?” the servant asked. “From the main castle?” Nathaniel nodded warily and turned fully towards him.

“That would be me,” he told him. He could tell that his gaze was making them uncomfortable, but he could hardly bring himself to care. He wouldn’t be seeing them any time soon after the three weeks were over.

“We were wondering if you knew anything about the ball?” He sounded uncertain, like he didn’t know how to address him. “Like the guests, and such…” Nathaniel pretended to ponder this.

“No, I can’t say I know any more than you,” he said. “Why did you assume I would?” He raised an eyebrow. The servant pursed his lips, and another one took over.

“You don’t act like… one of us,” she said unabashedly. “You don’t really talk to anyone other than that, um, other guy, Jean. And sometimes you talk to the older servants too, like the head maid, but other than that, you don’t seem to care.”

“Do I need to talk to others to get my job done?” Nathaniel didn’t mean to sound harsh, but from the looks on their faces, he did.

“We’re just saying that you look more like a noble than a servant,” the final servant said. Nathaniel couldn’t say he cared for the rudeness in her voice. “You have the clothes and you do your job, but the Princes seem to favor you, and you even went out with Allison Reynolds. You have a tattoo, for fucks sake! What did you do? Sleep your way into their favors?” Nathaniel didn’t deign to give her an answer. He stared at her as he tried to figure out what to say. He didn’t have any feeling on his face, and it made them flinch back.

Truthfully, he didn’t like being taken for a noble. He didn’t look like a servant, with his auburn hair and blue eyes – a strange combination that he had unfortunately inherited from his father – and he held himself in a way that suggested that he was cautious of everything. Being a noble didn’t sound appealing, and he hated the thought of it.

The idea of sleeping with members of the royal family to be treated as something special made his stomach twist in horrible ways. He wanted to throw up at the mere thought of it, as well as how willing Riko would be to let him do so.  _I don’t swing._

Nathaniel was saved from saying anything and unnerving them even further when Jean entered the stables. The large wooden doors opened with a creak, and when Jean noticed Nathaniel’s blank stare towards the three servants, he glared.

“If you’re bothering a fellow worker, I am going to have to ask you to leave,” he said stiffly. Nathaniel knew he just wanted them to leave. He didn’t like it when Nathaniel showed so little emotion, or so it seemed.

The servants, now that they weren’t alone, were quick to flee under Jean’s unwavering glare. With a click of his tongue, Jean turned to Nathaniel, and his expression softened. Nathaniel only allowed himself to relax just the slightest bit.

“Did you need something?” Nathaniel asked, taking on a less formal tone with his old friend.

“Not me, Kevin,” Jean told him. “Or his Highness or whatever we need to call him. Anyway, he told me to go fetch you and tell you to get the horses ready. He wants you to go out hunting with him, or so he says.”

“Why me?” Nathaniel wasn’t good at hunting. Kevin wasn’t either, but he always gave his best and thus was significantly better than Nathaniel.

“It’s not our job to question,” Jean said, meaning he had no idea either.

“Alright,” Nathaniel sighed and went to grab the saddles. “Are you coming too?” Jean snorted.

“With Kevin gone, someone needs to make sure Prince Riko has someone to attend to him,” he said, ‘Prince Riko’ sounding like poison in his mouth. “I’m surprised he’s even agreed to let you leave.”

“…He probably hasn’t.” Nathaniel bit his bottom lip. He couldn’t refuse Kevin, but he couldn’t go against Riko either. It wouldn’t be pretty for both him and Kevin.

“Shit.” Jean winced. “Good luck.”

“He’s going to lash out at you too,” Nathaniel said uncertainly. He would have said more, but Jean held up a hand and shot him a look.

“I can handle it,” he said. “Don’t worry. It wouldn’t be the first time.”

“Just because it’s not the first time doesn’t make it any less horrible,” Nathaniel muttered, frowning. Jean waved him off.

“You have a hunt to prepare for,” he said. “I’ll go find Kevin.” Nathaniel watched him leave with unconcealed worry. Jean was his best friend, something Kevin hadn’t been for a long time, and of course he worried. He always worried.

Nathaniel finished preparing the horses and he grabbed Kevin’s bow and arrows. He checked them to make sure they were in good shape. As he did so, Kevin made his way to the stables. Nathaniel knew he was there, but he didn’t say anything.

“I think they’re okay, Nathaniel,” Kevin said. “Give them to me.” Nathaniel looked up at him and nodded, handing them to him with a short bow.

“I’m ready to go, sire,” he said. Kevin made a face at the title, but shook his head and mounted his horse. Nathaniel followed soon after him. They weren’t the horses that Kevin would usually ride back in Karasu, but they were just as well.

“Kengo expects us back in four hours at most,” Kevin told him as they began to ride out. “We have to be back by dinner.” Nathaniel nodded.

They didn’t say much else until they rode out of the property and into the forest nearby. It was unfamiliar territory, but the path was noticeable, so it wouldn’t be hard to find their way back. Just in case, Nathaniel made marks on the trees.

“Nathaniel, you know I didn’t come out here to hunt,” Kevin said. It wasn’t a question. Kevin knew Nathaniel wasn’t an idiot.

“Yes, your Majesty,” he said.

“Jean doesn’t call me that,” Kevin sighed. “We’re in the woods. No one’s going to hear us. You can call me Kevin, you know?” Nathaniel knew he was right, but he was still a bit hesitant.

“It’s not easy,” he said at least.

“Whatever happened to your sarcasm?” Kevin groaned. Nathaniel fought a small smile. It was still there, but he didn’t have a chance to say it out loud in the castle.

“So what’s the real reason you called me out here?” he asked instead. He tried to be a bit less formal, and Kevin looked at least a little bit satisfied.

“I’m just wondering how you’re doing,” Kevin said. “We don’t get a chance to be around each other. Riko’s been… possessive. Jean told me about you going out with Miss Reynolds. He didn’t do anything, did you?” Nathaniel pretended not to notice the concern on his face.

“A few old wounds are irritated,” he answered carefully. “But other than that, he just grabbed my arm and warned me. He didn’t do anything to her.”

“I’m not asking about her,” Kevin said, frowning. He pulled on the reins of his horse and slowed to a stop, Nathaniel stopping beside him. “Let me see your arm.” Nathaniel sighed and held out his left arm. Kevin pushed up the sleeve.

His arm was littered with bruises. There was a fresh bandage around his wrist, the last one having been bloodied after Riko’s grip had opened the cuts. There was a disappearing mark where Riko had dug his nails into his skin.

“It’s not too bad…” Kevin muttered and looked back up. “How about your other arm? And your stomach? I remember you hadn’t fully recovered before we left.”

“My other arm is fine,” Nathaniel told him, tugging down his sleeve. “Prince Riko didn’t do much to it, because it’s my dominant arm and I need it for work. As for my stomach, it’s healing well enough. I may have reopened it last night, but I changed the bandage and I think it’ll be fine before we leave.” In a fit of rage the week before, Riko had slashed a large cut over Nathaniel’s stomach. Kevin had managed to hold him back before he did anything more, saying that Nathaniel wouldn’t be able to work later if he did. Nathaniel wasn’t actually sure why Riko had been angry, but it probably had something to do with the blushing servant he had been talking to beforehand. That boy had disappeared later on. Nathaniel didn’t think about it. It wasn’t the first time.

“You need to be more careful,” Kevin scolded. His glare was worried, but not threatening. “I worry about you.”

“As I said before, that’s hardly appropriate,” Nathaniel said.

“You were my best friend,” Kevin said, pursing his lips. “I can worry about you as much as I want. How did you open it?”

“Lots of jobs yesterday. I’m still a little sore from it all.”

“What? Nathaniel!” Kevin sat up straighter and glared at him again. “Should you even be working right now?” Nathaniel waved him off.

“You wouldn’t care so much if this was exy,” he told him. Kevin looked to be about to protest, but then furrowed his eyebrows as he realized that he was right. Nathaniel was a bit smug about that.

“That- that’s beside the point!” Kevin huffed. “It’s not like you’re the same way, except you don’t give a damn about your health in anything you do so long as you still have the ability to do it!”

Nathaniel shrugged. “I cannot afford your luxuries. I have to keep working unless I am physically incapable of doing so. It doesn’t really matter anymore.”

“I’m saying that’s wrong,” Kevin said.

“When did you start going against Prince Riko?”

“When did you start calling him ‘Prince’?” Nathaniel flinched away, but he didn’t fall off his horse. Kevin pursed his lips and shook his head. “I worry about you.”

“You don’t have to,” Nathaniel said softly. He would be lying if he said he didn’t miss being Kevin’s friend. It was more than being a companion to a prince. Kevin was fun to be around, as awkward and sometimes cowardly as he was. He liked playing exy with him. It had been fun to sneak around the castle as children. But they were adults now, and the differences between them were glaringly obvious. Kevin would be better off not worrying about him. Nathaniel was okay with his life. He didn’t know  _what_  would happen with Riko, but he was trying to live as best he could until Riko got impatient. Kevin would just make that harder.

“I know, but I do,” Kevin said. “At least try to be careful?”

“I always try, but I suppose I will try harder.” Nathaniel shook his head and lightly kicked his horse’s side to get her moving again. “My lord, perhaps you should actually be hunting for something. It will look suspicious if we come back empty-handed.” Kevin sighed audibly behind him, but went to trot beside him.

* * *

They didn’t capture much, but it was enough. They were only two men, so they couldn’t carry a lot on their own. They decided not to try capturing larger animals, as it would be too difficult to carry. Nathaniel suspected Kevin just didn’t want him to strain his stomach even more. Any other nobility wouldn’t have cared.

It was rare for Kevin and Nathaniel to spend time together. They got sidetracked a few times with Kevin trying to act as though nothing had changed between them. Nathaniel got distracted, remembering how Kevin used to act and feeling as though they were still the close friends they once were. It took him a while to remember his position, and he pretended not to notice the disheartened look on Kevin’s face every time he suddenly went rigid and spoke formally again.

Between their hunting and conversations, it took them much longer than necessary to start heading back to the estate. Kevin found the paths easily enough, along with Nathaniel’s marks along the trees, so there were no mishaps on their way back.

When they reached the estate, the sun was beginning to go down. Nathaniel knew they had only been gone a few hours, so there would hopefully be no trouble. He let the other servants tend to Kevin while he led the horses back to the stables.

It was surprisingly empty, the only sounds being the wind and the animals. It was still light out as Nathaniel dealt with the horses. Something was happening, he guessed. Normally, there would be a few servants wandering around, but since there weren’t, he knew that he was missing something.

“Nathaniel.” Jean was standing in the doorway. There was a cut across his temple, but it looked to have stopped bleeding a while ago. “Prince Riko wants you to change into something more elegant, and then go to great hall. There are guests that need to be entertained.” If Jean was calling Riko by his title, then they would have been  _important_  guests.

“Right.” Nathaniel quickly finished locking up the stables and followed Jean inside. He pretended not to notice how Jean favored one arm. He had no doubt there was worse than just that under his clothes.

The others were too busy bustling around to pay much attention to them. A few said a quick hello, but none of them had time for anything. Nathaniel didn’t see any of the royal family, but that wasn’t unusual. He assumed them to be with their guests, or at least preparing. Nathaniel vaguely remembered seeing an unfamiliar carriage as he and Kevin made their way back, but he had been distracted with putting the horses away.

“Who are we serving tonight?” Nathaniel asked, noting every unusual thing that they passed, from the flustered servants to the sparkling floors.

“The royal family of Fuchs,” Jean answered. “Well, minus Prince Nicholas.” Nathaniel raised an eyebrow.

“I wonder about that…”

* * *

Nathaniel’s clothes were dirtied from the ride. They were meant for hunting in the first place, so it didn’t matter all that much. He changed into more formal serving garments that he usually reserved for guests such as the royal family. They were lined with gold around the cuffs and made with noticeably finer fabrics. They were dark with red and black, but they didn’t have the highlights that the royal family suits had, nor the complicated pins. His clothes were loose on him, but they hid his body and were easy to move around in. His normal clothes were simple beige of nothing to note. It would be obvious to the guests that they were better dressed than normal, but they would do the same with their servants.

Nathaniel caught his appearance in his reflection and frowned. Hesitantly, he touched the ‘3’ still in plain sight on his tanned skin. Everyone in the household and back in Karasu was used to the ink shared between him, the princes, and Jean, but these royals didn’t know them. He felt self-conscious about it already, even though he was still in the privacy of his own chambers.

Jean hadn’t covered his number. Nathaniel remembered this, and nodded to himself. He didn’t feel like he was prepared for anything, but he steeled himself and stood up straight. He turned away from the mirror and began to stride towards the great hall, where Jean and the royal families would be waiting.

A passing maid gave him a sympathetic smile and pat his arm, which didn’t do anything for Nathaniel’s nerves. Out of politeness more than anything, he thanked her and sent her off.

Nathaniel didn’t enter through the big doors. That would draw too much attention to himself – attention he didn’t want. Instead, he slipped inside beside the servants through a smaller door near the back of the room. It was behind where most of the royal families were seated, so not many noticed. He took his place beside Jean, relaxing just slightly in his familiar presence.

Jean said nothing and just gave him a slight nod. Nathaniel didn’t smile at him and just looked forward. He took his time to observe the Fuchs family.

Luther Hemmick held himself with confidence and ease, speaking with Kengo as an equal even though Kengo was of much higher status than him. Luther was just a regent, after all. Maria Hemmick looked much more timid, her shoulders only just hunched. Nathaniel could tell she was speaking with a bit of a stammer, but she spoke nonetheless. The both of them spoke with Kengo and Tetsuji, while the princes looked entirely uninterested.

Nathaniel didn’t gasp when he saw the princes, but his eyes did widen. It wasn’t hard to recognize them as the twins from the shop. His cheeks felt hot, embarrassment flooding his body as he realized how rude he had been to the one who had spoken to him. He didn’t know which one was which, but he would have to apologize to the one he had spoken to. It was a wonder he hadn’t figured it out before.

“You okay?” Jean mumbled, taking note of his pink cheeks. Nathaniel nodded just enough for him to see. He didn’t take his eyes off the twins.

They both had blond hair and hazel eyes, but their bangs were styled different ways. Confidence, or maybe it was arrogance, oozed from them, but they didn’t speak. Kevin, Riko, and Ichirou didn’t speak either. One twin looked bored, despite how he sat up straight like any noble would, while the other just looked irritated at the situation in general. Either the adults didn’t notice, or they didn’t care. Nathaniel was betting on the latter. Kengo and Tetsuji missed  _nothing_.

Nathaniel forced himself to look away from the two of them and looked straight ahead at the wall. A slight nudge from Jean minutes later had him looking at Kevin, who had finally noticed him. Once they locked eyes, Kevin looked away.

His actions didn’t escape Riko’s notice, and he looked at Nathaniel. He looked pleased upon seeing him and motioned for him to come forward, lifting his goblet to give him an excuse to come near. Nathaniel bit back a sigh and grabbed the pitcher, taking quiet steps towards him.

As he filled his goblet back up, he pointedly didn't look at the Fuchs princes and let Riko’s hand brushing against his take his attention instead. It was a possessive gesture, subtle to most, but an action that meant he wanted to speak to Nathaniel when the dinner was finished.  _What else is new?_

Nathaniel nodded to him and mumbled, “M’lord” before stepping away and taking his place with Jean again.

Jean let out a silent breath as Nathaniel stood beside him again. Nathaniel didn’t acknowledge it. Him and Kevin – they both worried for him while he worried for them. It was a tiring cycle and none of them would relent. (And it was all Riko’s fault, truly)

* * *

The dinner was soon finished, the servants quick to clear the table as the two families stood. Nathaniel ignored any eyes he felt on him as he carried the plates into the kitchen. The staff waved off any offers of help cleaning.

“You’ll be okay?” Jean asked before Nathaniel left. They stood inside the kitchens, away from the view of anyone of importance. The kitchen staff ignored them.

“You ask me every time, and every time, I am alright,” Nathaniel said, huffing a bit. “Seriously, don’t worry. I’ll be fine.” Jean gave him a look that said he didn’t believe him, but he always gave him that look. He sighed and let him go. Nathaniel clapped his shoulder and exited the kitchen.

It was a mindless thing, navigating to reach Riko’s room. In the three days he had been in Fuchs, he had been summoned to his room enough times for him to reach it even half asleep. He wasn’t paying muxh attention, letting his feet take him, and so he almost didn’t notice when a head of blond hair blocked his way.

“Oh, my apologies,” Nathaniel said with a slight bow. It was the bored twin, the one with dead eyes who had spoken with him in the shop. The prince looked at him for a split second, as though he were nothing more than air, but then he glanced back at him a second time and raised an eyebrow.

“So I wasn’t hallucinating,” he hummed. “You  _are_  a servant. That’s why you won’t be coming to the ball.” Nathaniel flushed, but he wasn’t sure if it was just because he was embarrassed or caught off guard.

“I apologize for my rudeness back then, Prince… um…” He flushed deeper as he realized he didn’t know which twin he was.

“Andrew.”

“Prince Andrew,” he finished. “If you’ll excuse me, I have business to attend to.” He gave him a polite nod and was about to step around him, except Andrew held up a hand.

“Why don’t you show me around?” he said. “I think whatever you need to do can wait.” Nathaniel furrowed his eyebrows. Andrew didn’t look much different, his eyes still bored as ever, and so he didn’t understand why he would want a low servant such as him to show him around.

“I would be honored, sire, but I’m afraid it’s Prince Riko who’s awaiting me,” Nathaniel said.

“Oh? Perhaps another time then.” Andrew didn’t spare much else, seeming to find no point in the conversation since Nathaniel couldn’t keep one. He walked passed him, and Nathaniel began walking once he was gone.

* * *

“I didn’t get much of a chance to see you today,” Riko said when Nathaniel took a seat on his bed.

“Prince Kevin wanted me to assist him in hunting.” He knew he sounded stiff, his shoulders tense, but Riko had a temper. He was prepared for the repercussions.

“And you did not think to ask me first?” Riko, on the other hand, sounded deadly calm. Under normal circumstances, he would be cruelly teasing, mocking. It wasn’t a good thing that he was calm. Nathaniel couldn’t be more on guard.

“I had assumed he had already gotten your blessing,” Nathaniel lied. Riko narrowed his eyes and leaned close.  Nathaniel hardly flinched, even as a hand struck his cheek. He just lowered his gaze to his lap.

“He did not,” he said harshly. “I had to put up with that  _idiot_  Jean. He isn’t nearly as competent as you are, I hope you know.” Nathaniel wanted to argue. He wanted to say that Jean was very good at his job and that he was no idiot. He didn’t. (His mother had taught him patience before he left. Patience was soon beaten into him, even with his temper. He learned how to hold back)

Riko sighed irritably. “Next time, check with me. Do not assume things, do you understand?” He pressed his fingers into Nathaniel’s left wrist. He could feel the cuts straining under the pressure, ready to break once again. He took calculated breaths, but he didn’t bother to hide his pain. There was no point. It would just make RIko angrier.

“I understand, sire,” Nathaniel said.

“Good.” Riko didn’t let go, but he did grin. It was cold and something Nathaniel was entirely too used to. “Now, Jean got his message, but I was sure you would like to take most of his punishment. If not, I could always call him back here and finish what I had begun.”

“No, I’ll do it.” It wasn’t hard to make the decision. Nathaniel answered almost immediately, not wanting Jean hurt any more than he already was. Riko had already anticipated the answer.

His grin widened and he stepped back to take the knife placed on his desk.

* * *

The nurse was called in to bandage Nathaniel once Riko was done. There were quite a few new cuts on his legs, not too deep, but they were enough to bleed and hurt. He had opened a few old injuries and placed new bruises upon his chest. It was nothing Nathaniel wasn’t used to, and he gave the appropriate response to prevent further injury.

The nurse said little, but Nathaniel could see the rage hidden in her eyes. She didn’t look directly at either of them, although she looked like she wanted to say something. She finished her job and then left, and Nathaniel was dismissed minutes later.

His steps were light, moving in a way to make as little sound as possible. He knew he was walking strangely – a result of both the injuries and his still sore body from the night before – but he kept to the walls to seem unnoticed. Through the windows, he could see that it was dark out, but Riko hadn’t kept him for too long.

Nathaniel had no jobs to do, since Riko had taken him. Any jobs he had were most likely handed off to someone else, so he headed to the gardens. It was peaceful, and he would most likely find Jean out there too if he had no jobs. He didn’t want to head to his chambers just yet. It was much too small.

He was surprised to find someone seated on the stone bench, and even more surprised to see it was Prince Andrew. He hesitated, prepared to turn and head back inside again, but the prince turned and saw him before he could.

“Oh, it’s you.” He sounded the same as always. That is, disinterested and bland.

“I’m sorry, I’ll leave you alone.”

“You know, you apologize too much.” Nathaniel hadn’t expected a response, so he paused when he heard him speak. He opened his mouth to apologize again, but then he shut it again.

“It is… only right for a servant to apologize,” he said instead.

“It’s annoying.” There was no sigh in his voice. No irritability. It sounded like he was making a comment on the weather. “You were a lot less formal in that shop.”

“I didn’t know I was speaking to a prince in that shop.”

“Does that make a difference?”

“Yes.” Andrew didn’t respond, turning away from him and looking up at the sky.

“Well, now you’re just like everybody else,” he said after a few moments. He waved his hand in a shooing motion. Nathaniel was a bit affronted by it, but he didn’t say anything.

After a mumbled, “Sire,” he began to turn, but was stopped once again by Andrew speaking up.

“One more thing,” he said. “Why is there a ‘3’ on your cheek?” Nathaniel didn’t flinch. He didn’t look at him, or show any emotion at all.

“It was a gift,” he said simply. It was the truth. When Andrewhummed and didn’t reply again, he began walking back inside once more.

* * *

Nathaniel stood with a few others as the Hemmicks and Minyard twins were escorted to their carriages. Jean was already resting, but Nathaniel wanted to finish the day off with seeing the Fuchs royal family leave.

Even if Andrew had said that Nathaniel was boring, he didn’t think the prince was. He was intriguing, much different than the arrogance of the other princes he had met. He wasn’t cowardly either. He just didn’t care, and that attitude extended towards his family. Nathaniel wanted to see him again, just to take a look at the casual way he walked and how he looked passed everyone as though they weren’t even there.

Just once, their eyes met before Andrew was pushed into his carriage. It was enough for Nathaniel to note something in his eyes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I eternally hope that I got their personalities somewhat correct???? I can never tell, and it's just hard in alternate universes because they all grow up in different situations and therefore have different personalities based on that. I'm trying my best to incorporate that idea and their actual personalities, but you know.
> 
> Don't know when I'll be updating again, so we'll see.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This time my motivation for this chapter was the fact that my birthday is today and I wouldn't have time to finish it later and I wanted to get it in by the end of the month. WARNING: It's not my best chapter because it's like 1 am and later I'll probably read it and cry.
> 
> In other news, a while back, on tumblr, there was this thing about Kevin/Jeremy/Jean and I am very tempted to add that in because I know how it could happen. (Also I made a post about it and I feel like I should write at least one thing with the ship, which definitely needs a ship name)
> 
> Anyway, there aren't any warnings for this chapter. Lots of time skips, horrible writing, yada yada. Enjoy!

Nathaniel had almost forgotten about going back to the tailor’s with Riko until he heard Allison arguing with him in the morning. He was carrying a basket of laundry to hand to a maid when he heard them. It took a few moments to recognize her voice, but when he did, he couldn’t help but listen in.

“I’m not going to repeat myself,” Riko was saying, his teeth gritting together. Nathaniel winced. _He’s irritated._ “I am _busy_. I don’t have the time to head down there. If she were truly competent, she would be okay with me telling Nathaniel my measurements.”

“It’s a precaution,” Allison argued. Her hands were on her hips, and even as Riko leveled a glare on her, she didn’t back down. She just glared back at him. Nathaniel had to hand it to her. She had guts, but then again, it could have just been her never having had to live with him before.

“Just have her send the suit and if it’s wrong, then I’ll make her redo it.” He sounded as dismissive as he was irritated, and that couldn’t have been a good thing. Nathaniel wondered if it was just the fact that Riko didn’t want to be in the presence of someone he didn’t like.

“That will take too much time!” Allison caught sight of Nathaniel leaning around the corner and narrowed her eyes. “Nathaniel, convince Prince Riko to come along!” Riko didn’t spin with a surprised look. He turned slowly, leveling him with an unimpressed stare.

“What?” Nathaniel, on the other hand, was startled, but he hadn’t made an effort to hide in the first place. He straightened his back and approached hesitantly.

“Tell Riko that he has to go to the tailors’ today in order for his suit to fit!” Allison repeated, glancing at Riko with narrowed eyes.

“I don’t think I’m the best person to be looking at…” Nathaniel certainly agreed with Allison, but he didn’t want Riko’s retaliation. Nervously, he flicked his eyes between the two of them.

“No, no, say your part, Nathaniel,” Riko said, motioning for him to continue. Nathaniel couldn’t detect much of anything in his expression. Idly, he weighed his options.

On one hand, Riko _had_ to go down to the tailors’. If he didn’t, the outfit might turn out wrong, and that would cause him to snap out of impatience. On the other hand, he was angry now and Nathaniel didn’t want to be on the other end of that. He wasn’t sure which would end best for him and Allison, but…

“Well-” Nathaniel swallowed- “I’m not sure why you’re angry, my lord, but maybe you should go down. If you don’t, it will take longer for them to finish the suit and that might be worse. It’ll be much faster and less time-consuming if you go now.”

It was silent, but only for a few moments before Riko clicked his tongue and said, “Fine. But only if Nathaniel accompanies us.” Nathaniel sighed inaudibly. He wasn’t surprised, and he knew better than to argue. The only reason Riko agreed was because he had taken Allison’s side. Hopefully, he wouldn’t be too angry about that.

“Let me hand this off to someone else first,” he said, holding up his basket. When Riko nodded his assent, while also saying that they’d be waiting outside, he hurriedly ran off to find a maid.

The maid was happy to do his job for him, winking at him when he told her that he had to help Riko with something. Nathaniel didn’t like that look, but he did nothing more than smile uncertainly at her. She wasn’t a member of the main household. She didn’t know.

Riko looked frustrated yet again when Nathaniel found them in the front courtyard. Allison looked smug, and he bit back a sigh. He left his face blank as he approached them.

“Your clothes are horrible,” Allison said as he approached.

“It’s normal servants’ clothes,” he responded.

“They’re still horrible,” Allison sniffed.

“As much as Miss Reynolds is correct-“ Riko looked at Nathaniel’s clothes with a critical gaze- “we should get going. I want to finish this as soon as possible.”

“Yes, your Highness,” Nathaniel said, hopefully keeping his exasperation out of his voice. Riko held out an arm for Allison, and she placed a gentle hand around his elbow. Nathaniel stayed five steps behind him. It was a familiar formation: the nobility walking ahead and the servant behind, regardless of whether or not Riko was happy about it. Nathaniel had almost forgotten about it, as he hadn’t been with nobility in such a way since they had arrived in Fuchs.

As they walked, people stared. Other servants kept their heads down, as did most common people, but other nobles were less likely to be punished for being so blatant. It wasn’t every day they got to see foreign royalty with a local noblewoman. (Technically, Allison was former nobility, but she still held a high status) Nathaniel was used to it all and didn’t look anyone directly in the eye. Riko and Allison held their heads high.

“This better be quick,” Riko muttered to Allison as they approached the tailors’. Allison had a smile on her face, but it was far from genuine.

“I sure hope so,” she said through gritted teeth. “Emmeline!” She waved to the woman as she let go of Riko’s arm and hurried over to her. Nathaniel allowed himself to step closer to him. Riko was tense. Nathaniel didn’t want to have to be the one to calm him later.

“Come, Nathaniel,” Riko said, clearing his throat. “We mustn’t keep the fair ladies waiting.” He plastered a charming smile on his face and approached the two women, Nathaniel close behind.

“Your Highness, this is the seamstress, Emmeline,” Allison introduced. “Emmeline, this is the second prince of Karasu, Riko Moriyama.” Emmeline stood and curtsied, keeping her head bowed as a show of her respect and his status over her.

“A pleasure, sire,” she murmured.

“The pleasure is all mine, Miss Emmeline,” Riko said. His voice was smooth. It made Nathaniel want to gag. “Now, I believe there is a suit awaiting me.”

“Yes sir,” Emmeline affirmed. “It will only take a few minutes. If you would come this way, you may change and I can see about any improvements.” Riko nodded and followed her farther into the back of the shop.

Allison didn’t sag when they were out of sight, but her smile dropped and she looked just a little more tired. Somehow, she still looked beautiful

“He is exhausting,” she groaned, quietly so only Nathaniel could hear. Nathaniel took a seat on a nearby chair. Allison sat gingerly beside him. “I don’t understand how you can deal with him all the time.”

“You get used to it,” Nathaniel told her with a small shrug. He didn’t want to admit to having grown up with Riko, although it wasn’t uncommon. He loathed to admit that Riko favored him, which made him only a little kinder towards him. While it helped to make him tolerate his presence, it also meant more pain when Nathaniel made the wrong move.

“Nat, if I could, I would kidnap you right now,” Allison declared. “You’re too precious for that asshole.” Nathaniel shot her a look, and then glanced around as if Riko would suddenly appear.

“Where did ‘Nat’ come from?” he asked.

“Your name is a mouthful,” she said. “I like Nat better.”

“I don’t think Prince Riko would like that…”

“Oh, I won’t use it in front of him. Don’t worry your little head about that.” She was quick to wave him off. Nathaniel just sighed. He felt like he was doing that a lot with her.

Allison filled the quiet air with mindless comments. Occasionally, she would get up to browse, but she refrained from trying to buy anything. Nathaniel answered when she asked a question, but otherwise, stayed silent. She looked a bit frustrated at that, but she didn’t comment on it.

“Oh, these are beautiful,” she murmured, admiring a small bouquet of purple and white flowers on a stand.

“Isn’t it?” a nearby seamstress said. “They’re called _coronella_ , or Crown Vetch. In the language of flowers, they mean ‘success crown your wishes.’ It fits our fair kingdom, no?” She smiled and Allison smiled in return. It was much more genuine than the smile she had worn with Riko.

“It does,” she agreed.

“Miss Reynolds. Nathaniel.” Riko stepped into view and Nathaniel stood. “We are finished with our business. It’s time we depart.” Nathaniel thought he saw Allison mutter something, but she just nodded and allowed Riko to lead them out of the shop.

“Where’s Emmeline?” Allison asked, glancing to the back briefly.

“She is doing her modifications,” Riko answered, looking forward. “Nathaniel and I will escort you home before we head on our way.”

“You are too kind, Prince Riko,” Allison said. She didn’t mean it any more than Nathaniel believed she did.

Allison’s estate was nearby, so it didn’t take long to reach. They exchanged formalities outside the gate, both quick to get away from one another. Nathaniel felt like the bridge between the two. It hardly felt like an ideal situation.

“She’s a stubborn thing, is she not, Nathaniel?” Riko commented. He sounded casual, but Nathaniel could detect the underlying irritation in his voice.

“She is,” Nathaniel agreed. It wasn’t a lie. She was definitely stubborn, and quite blunt. She seemed a little hotheaded, but she held it in well. At least in public. She didn’t seem to have any qualms about her words when she was around Nathaniel. Perhaps it was because she trusted him, but Nathaniel couldn’t begin to fathom why.

“I don’t want her around any more than she needs to be,” Riko said. “Keep her away from me if she comes by, and don’t go with her unless you have my permission. Understood?”

“Understood, sire.”

* * *

“I feel like you and I are the only real servants in this place,” Nathaniel grumbled. Jean hummed, looking more amused than exasperated by the observation.

“I’m sure they have their own work to do,” Jean said. “Besides, we come from Karasu. Of course we have more work to do.”

“I’m right here, you know,” a maid by the name of Kana said. “We do a lot of work too.” She didn’t look particularly offended despite the tone in her voice. “Although, you Evermore people have taken the brunt of our work.”

“I knew it.” Nathaniel huffed. Kana rolled her eyes.

The sun was high in the sky, indicating that it was around noon. The day before had ended on a dull note, with Nathaniel having little to do after dropping Allison off with Riko.

The next morning had the chefs realizing they were low on food. Jean volunteered himself and Nathaniel to go to the market to find what they needed. Riko ordered Kana to go along with them under the guise of helping them find their way. In reality, he probably wanted to make sure they wouldn’t find a way to run.

“You two know how to read, right?” Kana asked. She held the list the chefs gave them in her hands.

“Of course,” Jean said. “We’re Evermore servants. We have to know how to read.”

“Don’t let that get out though,” Nathaniel added, glancing at her suspiciously. “It’s not common for servants to know how to read.” He felt uncomfortable whenever someone was aware that he could read. People assumed things when servants knew how to read, and he didn’t want to find out what sort of things they thought of them.

“My lips are sealed.” Kana tapped the corner of her mouth. “The market’s over there. I think you can notice that for yourself, though.” She nodded her head to the direction of the small crowd of people and the tents and food. A pleasant smell wafted towards them.

“Ah, yeah…” Out of habit, Nathaniel stepped just a bit closer to Jean again. Neither he nor Jean did well with crowds. They’d been “partners” for so long that it was habit to step close together in an uncomfortable situation. It was the steady, familiar presence that kept them grounded, and if Kana noticed, she didn’t say anything.

Nathaniel didn’t hold on to Jean or touch him as they weaved through the people after the maid. It wasn’t a parade, so it wasn’t a massive group of people, but it was still not an ideal situation. Nathaniel walked right beside Jean in an act of making sure he was there.

“Okay, so what’s the first thing we have to get?” Kana asked, turning to the two of them.

“If you didn’t know, why were you holding the list?” Nathaniel gave her a strange look and took it from her, scanning it quickly. He listed the first thing on the page, and Kana turned to lead them to a tent that they had passed.

Jean and Nathaniel were content to let her do the talking for them while they shopped. She looked happy, chatting with the people in the tents as they piled what they needed into a few baskets.

“Nathaniel, is that you?” It didn’t take long for Nathaniel to pinpoint Allison’s voice. She was loud, even when there were a lot of other people around them. She stood with a large smile, another girl next to her. She was a strange girl. Nathaniel didn’t know anyone so young could have white hair fading into colors of light shades at the tips. She unnerved him, somehow.

Nathaniel made a miniscule step closer to Jean. “Good afternoon, Miss Reynolds.” He managed a small smile, but it felt awkward as he avoided the curious gaze of the other girl.

“I knew it!” Allison said. “Nathaniel, this is my good friend, Renee. Renee, this is Nathaniel.”

“It’s nice to meet you, Nathaniel,” Renee said, her voice soft. Nathaniel found it in him to actually look at her closely. Unlike Allison – who wore extravagant clothes and had her hair styled in a way that showed her status – Renee wore a dress that was more fitting of a commoner. She wore no jewelry other than the cross around her neck, and the way she stood just a little behind Allison showed that she was nothing more than a common civilian.

“You too,” Nathaniel responded. He felt Jean nudge him, and he added, “Right. This is my coworker, Jean.”

“I’m his friend,” Jean said. Nathaniel was sure he was rolling his eyes at him.

“It’s nice to meet you as well,” Renee said. She had a gentle smile on her face. She was pretty, but Nathaniel couldn’t shake the feeling that she was also dangerous. Jean didn’t seem to notice.

“I didn’t think his Highness would let you out on your own,” Allison commented, looking around as though he would appear at any moment. She said ‘his Highness’ with a bit of spite.

“Prince Riko has his own duties,” Nathaniel said simply. The truth was actually the fact that Riko hated crowds more than he wanted Nathaniel under his thumb. He dealt with them if he had to, but pretending to be kind and charming for too long meant he would be in a bad mood later. Nathaniel had been on the receiving end of that mood before. It hadn’t been pretty, not that it ever was.

Nathaniel registered Kana’s presence behind him, but he didn’t acknowledge her as she stammered a hello to Allison. Allison glanced over her quickly and exchanged her own pleasantries, but she focused most of her attention on Nathaniel.

“So what are you doing?” she asked.

“Kana was showing us around while we got some things for the chefs,” Nathaniel explained. “And you two?”

“Unlike some people, I actually go out every once in a while to grace the common people with my lovely self,” Allison said, her smile showing how she was joking. Nathaniel just nodded.

“I happened to run into Allison while I was waiting for someone,” Renee spoke up. She’d been quiet, but Nathaniel was still tense just being in her presence.

“I don’t get how you can be around that asshole,” Allison huffed.

“Oh, he’s not so bad,” Renee said airily, smiling. “We just understand each other, that’s all.”

“He’s fucking insane. You’re not.”

“Am I, Miss Reynolds?” a sharp voice cut through. Nathaniel did well not to flinch as he spotted Andrew Minyard making his way towards them. Jean lightly touched Nathaniel’s wrist. He shook his head.

“Prince Andrew.” Allison’s voice was sweet and her smile was too plastic. Her contempt was noticeable, more so than when she was with Riko. Nathaniel gave a murmured greeting, bowing his head. Jean and Kana followed suit, but as Nathaniel glanced up, he saw Andrew’s eyes just pass over them. They lingered on him for only a second longer before he turned his attention back to Allison and Renee. It was just a second too long.

“Good afternoon, Andrew,” Renee greeted. She looked unbothered, and Andrew didn’t look nearly as hostile as he looked at her.

“Renee,” he said shortly, giving her a nod. “Miss Reynolds, I hope you realize I can order you killed at any time.”

“But you won’t,” Allison retorted, confident and sure of herself. Andrew clicked his tongue.

“I didn’t realize you spoke with servants of the Moriyama family,” he said.

“I like Nathaniel.” Nathaniel straightened as he heard his name. He ignored the look Jean gave him and tried not to look away when he saw Andrew’s eyes on him again.

“Is that your name?” he asked.

“Yes, your Highness.” He mentally applauded himself on his ability to not stammer.

“…How annoying.” Andrew looked a bit more irritated at Nathaniel’s answer, which made zero sense to him. Nathaniel glanced at Jean when he felt him brush a hand against his again, but there was something unreadable in his eyes that he couldn’t name.

“Andrew, let’s get going, shall we?” Renee said, bringing everyone’s attention back to her. Andrew didn’t spare another glance towards Nathaniel and simply began walking away. Renee smiled apologetically and waved her goodbye before following after him.

“Those two don’t seem very compatible,” Jean said after a few moments of silence. “Uh, if you don’t mind me saying,” he added another second later.

“I know, right?” Allison threw her hands up in the air. “I don’t know why she’s always around him.” She sighed. “Well, whatever. I guess I should leave you now. You have important… royal business to do or whatever.”

“Goodbye, Miss Reynolds,” Nathaniel said, Jean and Kana echoing him.

She began to walk away, but then stopped to turn and look at them again. “Oh yeah, Nathaniel, are you going to the ball?” Nathaniel started, blinking in surprise.

“Why would a servant go to the ball?” he asked. “I’m not a part of the Fuchs household, so I have no reason to be there.” Allison frowned, seemingly unhappy with the response.

“I guess...” She muttered something to herself, and then waved before walking off again.

“She’s kind of strange…” Kana spoke up once she was out of sight.

“Yes, she is,” Nathaniel agreed. “Anyway, let’s see what we have to get next, shall we?”

* * *

“So what’s the deal with Prince Riko anyway?” Kana asked out of nowhere as she browsed a selection of vegetables. Nathaniel stilled, but only for a split second as Jean brushed a hand over his.

“What do you mean?” Jean said carefully.

“I’m not oblivious like some of the other servants,” Kana said, shaking a long carrot in their direction. “Servants don’t run, so why is he so scared that you two will? Not that I would let you, but I’m curious.”

“I hardly think it’s any of our business to question our masters,” Nathaniel spoke up, deliberately avoiding the question. Who knew how much trouble he could get in to for speaking his mind? He didn’t want to risk it, and besides, it would do no good to worry about himself.

“You’re one of _those_ servants, then,” Kana said, as though they knew what she was talking about. Seeing their blank looks, she just shook her head. “Never mind. You two are weird. I would have thought it was an Evermore thing, but the others don’t act like you do.” Vera, Gabriel, and Adalena were older than Nathaniel and Jean. They were teenage servants when Riko was a child, and Riko couldn’t harm his elders, so they weren’t as skittish around him. They held respect for him and were polite, so they didn’t get the punishments Nathaniel and Jean did.

Not that Kana knew that.

“It doesn’t matter,” Jean said. Kana didn’t look like she believed him, giving him this _look_ that Nathaniel couldn’t exactly name, but she didn’t say anything more on the matter.

Unfortunately, she had more things on her mind than just Riko.

“How do you know the Lady Allison, then?” she asked, smirking as Nathaniel startled. “I guess I understand how you know Prince Andrew, but he didn’t really acknowledge you. I swear, he doesn’t care about anyone other than himself and Prince Aaron.”

“I don’t think a maid should be asking these questions.” Jean looked at her with narrowed eyes. Kana shrugged and held up her hands, the baskets hanging over her left elbow.

“Not much happens in Fuchs,” she said. “Well, not anything that anyone is really comfortable talking about. And you guys are new. You’re interesting.” Nathaniel felt like she was comparing them to animals to be observed and studied. He didn’t like it. It reminded him of the Moriyamas a bit _too_ much.

( _“You interest me,” Riko had purred. “I can’t wait to see what makes you_ break _.”_ )

Jean clapped a hand on Nathaniel’s shoulder, shocking him before he could think too much. Nathaniel did nothing more than widen his eyes for a split second before schooling his features into a neutral expression. Jean didn’t look at him, but Kana glanced at him curiously. He pointedly ignored her stare.

“You shouldn’t be asking questions that could get you in trouble,” Jean warned. “For your own sake.” Kana didn’t look too concerned, but she just nodded and said nothing else. Nathaniel had to wonder what kind of life she had to lead to be so carefree about consequences.

“Is there anything else we need?” she asked instead. Nathaniel glanced over the list quickly.

“No,” he answered. “This is the last thing, and then we’re done.”

“Nathaniel? Nathaniel, right?” He groaned as he heard yet another voice call out for him.

“Do you know everyone in Fuchs?” Jean looked down at him with a raised eyebrow. Nathaniel rolled his eyes in return and turned just before a hand touched his shoulder. Emmeline stood in front of him, holding a basket of her own. She wore her normal seamstress’ gown.

“Miss Emmeline,” Nathaniel greeted smoothly.

She smiled and nodded her head. “Nathaniel. I was planning on going to the Moriyama estate, but since you’re here, would you be so kind as to give these to the princes?” She handed him the basket on her arm. “All three of their suits are in there, as well as some masks that I thought they would like.” Nathaniel blinked. He hadn’t even known that Kevin and Ichirou had ordered their own suits.

“Oh, alright,” he said as he took the basket from her. “I’ll be sure to do so.”

“Thank you.” She grabbed his hand to give him a firm handshake, flashing a smile to Jean and Kana too. “I’m sorry I can’t stay long enough to chat. Maybe I’ll see you later. Goodbye.” With that, she turned and left, waving her goodbye.

“Who was that this time?” Jean asked, frowning at Nathaniel. Nathaniel knew his train of thought was along the lines of _Making friends is dangerous._

“The seamstress that was making Prince Riko’s suit,” he explained. “She apparently made Prince Kevin and Prince Ichirou’s suits too. They must have gone on their own.” Nathaniel didn’t think Ichirou particularly cared for him, and Kevin had always been a bit paranoid over Riko seeing him and Nathaniel together, so he could understand why he didn’t know anything about their trips. Most likely, actual bodyguards accompanied them.

Jean observed him for a few moments before nodding. Nathaniel wasn’t put off by the look. They both took extra measures to make sure they could stay safe. In any case, Jean was right – making friends _was_ dangerous.

Off to the side, Kana muttered, “Man, you guys are weird.”

* * *

“Do you want me to come with you?” Jean mumbled as they approached the gates of the estate. Nathaniel shook his head only just.

“No, I’ll be fine,” he said lowly. “Riko won’t get mad at me for delivering his suit.” He could feel Kana’s eyes on them, but thankfully, she said nothing. He hoped it would stay that way. They hadn’t sworn her to secrecy, but she seemed like a smart girl for all her misplaced curiosity.

“Be safe,” Jean said.

“I will be.” They both straightened up once they entered through the large doors. Kana bid them goodbye, telling them that she was going to give the food to the chefs before heading off. Jean nodded to Nathaniel as he left to find Vera, and Nathaniel was on his own.

“Excuse me,” he called to a passing butler. “Would you be able to tell me where the Crown Prince is?”

“What for?” the butler asked, looking at the basket with distrust.

“I have his suit for the ball in here,” Nathaniel answered and let him check the basket himself. It was protocol. For all that Riko had misplaced trust in Nathaniel – not that there was a lot of that – he still needed to be checked in case he snuck any weapon inside.

“Prince Ichirou should be just finishing business with King Kengo,” the butler finally told him as he handed the basket back to him. “If you hurry, you might be able to catch him outside of His Majesty’s office. If not, I’m sure you’ll be able to find him in his room.”

Nathaniel bowed his head. “Thank you.” The butler nodded and Nathaniel headed in the direction of the King’s office.

They weren’t often in the Fuchs estate, so he didn’t quite remember where Kengo’s office was. He was, instead, quick enough to find Ichirou as he approached his room.

“Your Highness!” he called, hurrying over to him. He kept his eyes lowered as he approached him. He wasn’t of equal status to him. He had no right to look him in the eye.

“Yes, Nathaniel?” Ichirou said. He didn’t sound particularly interested in his appearance, nor did he sound bothered. Nathaniel took that to be a good sign. (Although he hadn’t known that Ichirou had even remembered his name)

“While I was out, the local seamstress recognized me,” he began. “She asked me to give your finished suit to you, as well as allow you to take a look at some masks you may like.” He waited a few seconds for Ichirou’s response.

“I see,” he said simply. “Come inside and lay my suit on the bed. I won’t need the masks. I have my own.”

Nathaniel murmured a “yes, sire” before shuffling into the bedroom, the door held open by Ichirou. He took a moment to assess which suit was Ichirou’s – the one with the raven embroidered in deep red on his left shoulder – before gently laying it on the bed.

He heard Ichirou’s hum of approval and left after a brief “You’re dismissed.”

He found Kevin in the gardens, looking restless and irritated. Nathaniel assumed it was because he had little to do in an unfamiliar place. He wasn’t nearly as intimidated by him as he was of Ichirou and Riko, so he approached him confidently. He still didn’t look him in the eyes though.

“Prince Kevin,” Nathaniel said. “I have your suit for the ball, as well as a few masks if you’re interested.” Kevin blinked at him in slight surprise.

“Hello Nathaniel,” he said. “I’m good, thank you. How are you?” Nathaniel gave him an unimpressed look, and he huffed. “Right, right. Thanks. I’ll take the suit now.” Nathaniel nodded and carefully handed him his suit.

“And the masks, sire?” he asked, holding out the basket to show the small collection of red and black masks.

“Uhh, I’ll take this one.” Unsurprisingly, Kevin chose an unassuming, but still fanciful black mask. It didn’t have any particularly special attributes other than some shine and twirling designs. It only covered over the area around his eyes.

“If that is all, I have to see Prince Riko next,” Nathaniel said. He prepared to bow his head and leave, but Kevin caught his arm before he could. He forced himself to look into worried green eyes.

“You’re okay with seeing Riko?” he asked softly. “You’re still hurting, aren’t you?” Nathaniel frowned.

“I’ve been through worse,” he said as though it was an appropriate answer. It translated to “I’m not incapacitated so I can still do my job.” It wasn’t the answer Kevin was looking for, but it was all he was getting.

Kevin let out a frustrated sigh. “I wish you wouldn’t do this,” he muttered. He let go of him and shook his head. “Whatever. Go ahead, but be careful.”

“Between you and Jean, I feel smothered,” Nathaniel said blandly. He didn’t wait for any dismissal from Kevin and walked away. He had no doubt that Kevin was irritated with him, but for all his formality with him, he knew he didn’t have to worry about him.

Nathaniel was hardly surprised to find Riko in his room. He didn’t like to be around other people, and he looked down upon the servants in a way that had him staying away from them as much as possible. He didn’t calm down around open fields like Kevin did either, so his solution was to isolate himself whenever he didn’t have any duties to fulfill.

Nathaniel knocked twice on Riko’s door before being let inside.

“I wasn’t expecting you, Nathaniel,” Riko said, sounding pleasantly surprised. He said his name like it was delicious honey. Nathaniel repressed a shiver. “What brings you here?”

“I saw the seamstress while I was at the market,” he told him. “She had your suit ready, so she asked me to bring it to you. There are also a few masks, if you would like to try them.” Riko barked a laugh, mocking at the mere thought.

“I already have my own mask, thank you,” he scoffed. “Set the suit on the bed. Carefully.” He jerked his head and Nathaniel was quick to place the basket down so he could smooth the suit out onto the bed. It blended right in to the décor of the room.

“Is that all, your Highness?” Nathaniel asked. Riko smiled. It was probably meant to be warm. Nathaniel was inappropriately intimidated.

“That is all, Nathaniel, thank you,” he said. Nathaniel almost flinched as he felt his cold hands on his cheeks. He wanted to gag when he felt his lips press to his forehead, but he stayed still until Riko pulled back.

His cheeks flushed – from what, he wasn’t sure, but it made Riko happy – Nathaniel bowed. “Then good day, Prince Riko.”

He tried not to look like he was scurrying out of the room.

* * *

The last few days before the ball seemed to pass in a bit of a blur. With nothing more for the servants to do, Nathaniel found himself stuck with menial tasks that weren’t all that important. It gave him a lot of time to heal, luckily.

On the day of, the estate became alive with servants bustling to help prepare. For the most part, they got the carriages ready, but it was the excited chatter of the maids and butlers and servant boys that made everything seem more energetic than it had been the past few days.

The Royal Family didn’t leave until five, when the sun was beginning to set in the autumn sky. The princes all seemed to wear matching suits, with their own personal touches added for their own individuality. The King’s suit was of the highest quality, a red raven embroidered on his shoulder, like Ichirou’s. The difference was the golden crown silhouetted above the raven’s head. Tetsuji wore something of a simpler nature, matching the princes more than the king.

“I loathe to leave you, but I will be back in the early hours of morning,” Riko told Nathaniel as the horses were prepared. _No please, take all the time you need,_ Nathaniel thought fleetingly.

Instead, he forced a small smile onto his face, grimacing internally. “Have fun at the ball, Prince Riko.” It was the appropriate answer as Riko’s lips curled into a satisfied smile.

“I will see you when you awaken in the morning,” he said. Nathaniel nodded and promptly stepped back so Riko could enter his carriage. He only dared to look at Kevin, who stared back at him with a disapproving frown as he usually did. He only gave a nod of acknowledgement, and was saved from a confrontation when Kevin was ushered into his own ride.

Nathaniel stood beside Jean, who gave him his normal once-over before gently leading him inside. He didn’t touch him, for which Nathaniel was grateful. He already felt jittery from Riko’s attention.

It was a few hours later, when Jean decided to retire early to get an appropriate amount of sleep for the first time, that someone called for Nathaniel.

“Nathaniel?” a boy of about fourteen years said, approaching him meekly. Nathaniel briefly identified him as a stable boy by the name of Conrad. “Someone is at the door, asking for you.” Nathaniel frowned, but nodded.

“I see…” he said. “Did you get a name?” Conrad shook his head. With a sigh, Nathaniel motioned for him to lead the way. Conrad hurried to the front door.

In hindsight, Nathaniel shouldn’t have been surprised by who stood at the open entrance, but he couldn’t help his startled wide eyes as he took in her form.

Allison smiled as she saw him approach. “It’s about time, Nathaniel.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again, not my best chapter, but hey, be excited for the next one! Did you see that coming? Probably, but whatever. I had something to say, but I forget. Again, it's 1 am. I'm tired. Yeah. (a-kingdom-of-foxes on tumblr, message me guys) (I'm kidding. You don't have to do that) (Seriously)
> 
> (And congratulations, Oz. You finally got the next chapter)


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Holy shit I actually did it. I actually finished the fucking chapter.
> 
> No particular warnings here. Talk of ~magic~ and Neil/Nathaniel being very, very disgusted by all of Riko's approaches.
> 
> There are some gay thoughts here! Yay!
> 
> I dedicate this to Oz and Emma because you guys have been waiting/"motivating".

Nathaniel stared at Allison. Her dress was bright with pink and white and blue, more luxurious than her already-amazing everyday dresses. Her hair was styled in a bun of sorts, a few strands curling around her face. She held her mask at her side, white with extravagant designs and a feather on one side.

“Hello Miss Reynolds,” he said, schooling his expression into a blank one. “May I ask why you’re here?”

“ _Allison_ ,” Allison stressed, rolling her eyes. “Seriously, you were doing so well.” She sighed. “But anyway. Walk with me.” Nathaniel gave her an incredulous look, not moving even as she gestured for him to follow her.

He looked at Conrad, who shook his head quickly. “It’s fine if you go,” he said. “The Masters shouldn’t be home until at the latest one. So long as you’re back by midnight, you’ll be fine.” Nathaniel pursed his lips, but Conrad glanced at Allison, and whatever he saw in her eyes had him motioning for Nathaniel to go.

“Come on, I don’t have all day, you know.” Allison’s foot tapped against the tiled floors, echoing just barely through the quiet hall.

“Alright, I’m coming,” Nathaniel said. He glanced at the clock. It was half-past eight at night. They had plenty of time.

He grabbed a cloak and followed Allison out the door.

Allison didn’t say anything while she led him away from the estate. The streets were quiet. Most people were out at the ball, and those who weren’t had little reason to be out. The only ones out were shady figures and rebellious adolescents. Few paid much attention to them. Allison ignored them. Nathaniel kept his head down and his hood up, lest anyone recognized him.

He felt antsy as they got further and further away, but he didn’t speak. Allison continued to say nothing.

“Alright, I hope your friend doesn’t tell anyone about this,” she said once the estate was out of sight, glancing back at Nathaniel.

“He’s not really my friend,” Nathaniel said with a half-hearted shrug. “He won’t tell anybody.” He paused. “Where are we going, Allison?”

“You got it right!” Allison exclaimed. “For that, I’ll tell you. We’re going to see Emmeline.”

Nathaniel furrowed his eyebrows. “Emmeline? Why?”

“You’ll see.” Allison smiled and moved as though to touch him. He flinched away before she could get too close. The smile dropped, but she didn’t say anything about it and continued walking.

Emmeline was waiting for them inside. The shop was dark, with only a few lights flickering above them. “I was wondering when you’d show,” she said in a whisper. “Come to the back, quickly. Nobody else is here, so you’re in luck.” She ushered them deeper inside. They followed without complaint. Nathaniel was too confused to argue.

The back of the shop had an assortment of fabrics and tools cluttered on tables and hangers. Nathaniel couldn’t identify most of the materials that were placed out in the open. He didn’t linger long to look.

“I finished this just a few hours ago,” Emmeline started, looking carefully through some finished dresses and suits. “It was a little hard, but I think it should fit just fine even without your exact measurements. You better appreciate it. I worked on it nonstop.”

“ _What_ did you finish?” Nathaniel asked. “What does this have to do with me?”

“You’re going to the ball,” Allison said, a smirk on her face. “I had Emmeline make a suit.”

“What?” Nathaniel gaped. “Why? I don’t want to go to the ball!” It was his one night to relax. The only reason he hadn’t gone to sleep early with Jean was because he wanted to make sure things were prepared for the Moriyamas’ return. “You don’t even know me. Why do you want me at the ball?”

Allison frowned. “Renee… You remember Renee?” Nathaniel nodded. It was hard to forget her and her dark presence. “She’s a Seer.”

Nathaniel froze. “…A Seer?”

Magic wasn’t rare. There were a number of people who could wield magic. Guilds had a fair share of healers and duelers. Most royal families had druids for advisors and some fae liked to live amongst the common people. Nathaniel remembered an entire kingdom full of magic-users. (His own mother had dabbled in potions. She taught him some whenever they helped with their survival. The Moriyamas despised magic, Riko especially. Nathaniel hadn’t touched magic in years)

Seers were much rarer than normal magic-users. They were considered gifts, and most were kept in the houses of royal families. Even ancestors of Seers were kept in the palaces until the magic died out. Normally, they weren’t let out with civilians in order to protect their use.

“Yes,” Allison said, nodding. “Renee never went to the Minyards or Hemmicks. Not a lot of people know who she is. The only ones who do know are me, Emmeline, Prince Nicky, and Prince Andrew.” She made a face at Andrew’s name. “Lord knows why Renee trusts that asshole.” She shook her head. “Anyway, after you met Renee a few days ago, she visited me. Apparently, she’d had some sort of foretelling, and _you_ were important. She didn’t really give me all of the details, but she said that good things will come if you just come to the ball.”

Nathaniel felt like flailing, or throwing some sort of fit, or just screaming. He didn’t. “Why didn’t you _get_ all of the details?” he asked through gritted teeth.

“She said something about ‘self-fulfilling prophecies’ and ‘if I listened to every detail, it might turn things worse’,” Allison answered dismissively. “Besides, I thought it would be hilarious to see you in a suit.”

“If you two are done,” Emmeline said, turning to the two of them before Nathaniel could protest, “Nathaniel, go change.”

“I want you to know that I am against this in every way,” Nathaniel said matter-of-factly. Allison rolled her eyes, and he was promptly shoved into a room to change in.

The suit wasn’t made for a royal, but it didn’t look like something for a common man either. It didn’t have the extravagant highlights or any sort of crest. Rather, it was more fitting of an aristocrat. It was mostly white with silver linings. Nathaniel felt uncomfortable in such bright clothing, but at least Emmeline had kept the red buttons.

“How am I supposed to not be noticed?” he asked as Allison and Emmeline silently judged him. “A mask can only do so much, and Prince Riko could easily recognize me.” Nathaniel knew that he was, unfortunately, memorable. His hair and eyes were too bright, and according to Riko, “unique.”

“I have that covered,” Allison promised, leaning back with a satisfied smile. “You’re looking good. Emmeline?”

Emmeline nodded when Allison looked her way and presented Nathaniel with an orange fox mask. It felt like it was made of wood. It broke off the shape the snout over the nose, and at the sides were ears.

“A fox?” Nathaniel said as his fingers trailed over it gently.

“It’ll help with your disguise,” Emmeline explained. “People won’t think you’re a Raven if you wear a Fox mask.” Nathaniel nodded.

Allison clapped her hands and smiled mischievously. “Alright, now here’s the fun part. Obviously, I can’t expect you to just wear a mask and call it good. Frankly, your hair is way too noticeable. We don’t see a lot of redheads here.”

“So how are you going to fix it?” Nathaniel asked.

“A little thing called _magic_ ,” Allison answered and winked.

Nathaniel worked not to gape. “You have magic too?”

“It’s how Renee and I met,” Allison told him. “Otherwise, this wouldn’t work out so well. But yes, I have magic. I’m not very skilled at it, but I should be able to change your appearance somewhat.”

Seemingly from nowhere, Allison conjured a wand. It was a simple white, but there were carvings of some language on the spiraling wood.

“Wands are so distasteful.” She frowned. “I need it to conduct my power better, though. Hold still.”

Nathaniel wasn’t sure how much he trusted Allison’s at all. He couldn’t say he trusted her at all, and he watched her with wary eyes as she cleared her throat and began to chant something in a language that didn’t sound like any he had heard before.

It was a short phrase. Nathaniel could only feel a small tingling as his hair shifted from auburn to black and his eyes turned from blue to brown.

Emmeline held up a mirror for him to look at himself. Idly, Nathaniel played with a few strands of hair hanging over his eyes. The 3 on his cheek wasn’t there. He put his hand over where it would be, his mouth agape. Somehow, it felt like a taste of freedom.

“You won’t be as noticeable like this,” Allison said, nodding her head. “It’s kind of disappointing though. You look much hotter with your original look.”

“It does its job,” Nathaniel said and sighed. “It’s too late for me to protest. Let’s get this over with.”

“You need a _boutonnière_ ,” Allison reminded him.

“I have Enchanter’s Nightshade,” Emmeline offered, gesturing to an assortment of small, white flowers nearby.

“Fitting.” Allison let out a huff of a laugh. “They’re too small, but maybe…” She waved her wand, speaking a few words in the strange language. The flowers began to curl together, forming a much grander one as purple bled into white. Nathaniel recognized them as Crown Vetch.

“Perfect.” Allison smiled and gently picked up the bud. “It shouldn’t wither or damage, if you’re careful.” She handed it to Nathaniel so he could tuck it onto his pocket.

“Why Crown Vetch?” he asked.

“First thing to come to mind,” Allison answered and shrugged. “And, as the meaning goes, ‘success crown your wishes.’”

“Put on your masks,” Emmeline said eagerly before Nathaniel could respond.. “I’d like to look at you.” Nathaniel fixed the mask over his head while Allison held hers over her eyes. Emmeline smiled happily.

“Thank you so much,” Allison said, smiling back at her. “I owe you one.”

“You owe me nothing,” Emmeline responded, waving a hand. “Go on. You have a ball to attend.”

Allison nodded and looked towards Nathaniel. “Come on, I have someone waiting outside. I’ve missed enough of the ball already. And act like a noble. It’ll be convincing.”

“Right…” If Nathaniel were any normal servant, he would have no idea what to do. As it was, he held out his arm, which Allison took. She waved goodbye to Emmeline as they exited through the back door.

Sure enough, a grand carriage awaited them. A middle-aged man held open the door for the both of them. Nathaniel helped Allison inside before going in himself.

“You’re going to be an old friend visiting from another country,” Allison instructed him. “You’ll need to come up with a cover name, just in case anyone asks.” Nathaniel nodded. He had expected so.

“I think…” He pursed his lips. A name he hadn’t used in a long time came to mind first. Only two other people knew of it. “Call me… Neil. Neil Josten.”

Allison gave him a strange look, as though sensing his hesitation with the name. Nevertheless, she nodded. “Alright then, Neil.”

Neil let out a soundless sigh.

* * *

Nathaniel – no, he was Neil for the night – showed the man at the door their invitations before they were let inside. He was fairly certain Allison had enchanted the extra invitation to say his name, but it worked out for her. He didn’t know if he should be relieved or not. It wasn’t as though he wanted to be at a ball. He had no place there.

Now, he had been to his fair share of parties. He’d been in crowded ballrooms and had conversed with many guests, but he was usually the man that served the drinks and directed the guests where they wanted to go. He hadn’t been a part of the ball in years. As a servant, he was restricted to the edges of the room or wherever he was called. Now, he was in the crowd, with a beautiful noblewoman on his arm.

The ballroom was roughly the same size as the ballroom in Evermore, if a little bit smaller. Unlike the walls back in Karasu, which were dark and black lined with red, the walls in the Palmetto Castle were white and orange. The combination shouldn’t have been as charming as it was. It brought a lighthearted atmosphere to it all, much less formal than the Moriyamas’ parties.

“I’m surprised you don’t look more awed,” Allison commented, scanning the room appreciatively. “This _is_ pretty grand.”

Neil shrugged. “I’ve been to balls before.”

“But this is different,” Allison said. “You’re a guest, not… you know.” Neil raised an eyebrow and she huffed. “Whatever. Come on, I’m getting a dance out of you before you try to run.”

“I don’t know how to dance,” Neil lied.

“Then we’ll stick to the edges so nobody notices,” Allison said, “but I am still getting a dance out of you.”

Neil didn’t argue when she pulled him through the crowd of people. Allison, for all her friendliness towards him, was undeniably scary. Somehow, she managed to not seem urgent to get towards the back of the room. She stopped to greet acquaintances and old friends, and she introduced Neil as a friend from another kingdom. Neil hoped he made a convincing noble. He hadn’t had to act the part in a long time.

Neil didn’t see the Moriyamas. It might have been because Allison was leading him, and he was grateful for that. He didn’t want to risk being noticed just yet.

It seemed like forever by the time they reached a fairly secluded area of the ballroom. It was close enough that they looked as though they were still a part of the crowd, but they would be largely unnoticed.

“Now don’t step on my toes,” Allison ordered. “At least look confident.”

“Yes, Lady Reynolds,” Neil said almost teasingly. Allison leveled a glare at him, but she didn’t reprimand him. He considered that a success.

The music the band was playing was slow and soft. It was good enough for a slow dance. Many people were simply mingling, but there were a number of couples dancing.

Neil placed a hand on Allison’s waist and took one of hers in the other. She had her free hand on his shoulder. It was a bit awkward, dancing with her when she was taller than him, but he managed. He moved the same way he knew he would have to if he were taller. He was almost tempted to purposely mess up to keep up with his lie, but he feared it would bring too much attention to them.

When the song slowed to a stop, Allison stepped back. “You lied,” she said.

“What?”

“You lied,” she repeated. “You know how to dance.”

Neil shrugged. He didn’t feel up to explaining himself to her. She didn’t push him on it, but she did have a frown on her face. Her eyebrows were furrowed in confusion.

“Whatever,” she decided after a few seconds. “I’m going to have fun. Don’t you dare try to leave.”

“I won’t.” Neil rolled his eyes. “It would look suspicious if I left so early.” Allison was his ride, anyway. He didn’t know Fuchs well. He wouldn’t know where to go.

Allison smiled. “Good. We’ll leave before midnight. Your servant friend said something about having to be back by then.”

“Yeah, I remember,” Neil said. Getting back by midnight meant he would be safe from repercussions. Hopefully, Conrad knew how to keep his mouth shut. “Go have fun.”

Allison nodded to him and was quick to disappear into the crowd.

Without the noble by his side to lead him, Neil felt a little lost. He knew nobody in the room save for his masters, and of them, the only one who cared was Kevin. Except Kevin was still a prince, and Neil didn’t want to let him know he was there.

So Neil stayed near the edges of the room, not wanting to be noticed. Nobody would give him the time of day if he looked as though he belonged.

From where he stood, he saw the Moriyamas. He could pinpoint Ichirou in his raven mask, matching his father’s and uncle’s. Kengo and Tetsuji were speaking to the Hemmicks again, most likely speaking of treaties. Riko and Kevin were playing the part of charming princes, sweeping the women off their feet. _If only they knew,_ Neil thought, his eyes drifting away from the laughably fake smiles that only he seemed to be able to notice.

He saw Nicholas Hemmick, or who he assumed to be him. He wore a suit only fitting of a member of the royal family, his mask an extravagant orange and white fox mask, and he had an uncanny resemblance to the King and Queen Regents. Neil only thought it made sense that he was their son. With him was a tall, blond man that Neil didn’t recognize. He looked like a noble, but Neil wasn’t sure why he was with Nicholas. He had a smile as he listened to Nicholas exclaim and gesture wildly.

On the other side of the room was Andrew Minyard, watching the crowd with nothing less than boredom and mild irritation. Neil didn’t know if he ever had any other expression. His mask was a plain orange and was nothing special from what Neil could see. There was nothing surprising about that. He didn’t seem like the type of person to try too hard to impress people with his riches.

Following his line of sight, Neil saw him looking at his brother. Aaron seemed to actually be having fun with a girl. He was dancing and talking, and whatever he was saying had her giggling. For whatever reason, this didn’t seem to make Andrew very happy.

Neil searched the crowd for any other faces he might recognize, but he saw none. He breathed a sigh of relief.

The night seemed to drag on, with Neil glancing at the clock every other minute. He could make out Allison every so often, and he had no idea how she wasn’t already bored. He continued to spend his night looking like he was doing something while he just stood along the edges of the room.

On the other side of the room, Andrew didn’t move either. Neil didn’t notice.

It was getting hot with all the people and the snug clothes Neil wore. He had already been getting overwhelmed with the music and the crowd, so when he started fidgeting and he felt himself getting warm, he decided it was time to step outside.

He found himself in a large garden, much like the one back at the estate, but bigger. It was mostly empty, and the few people who had decided to take a breather were on the balconies or spread out elsewhere. The air was cool and it was much quieter, even as the sounds and lights of the party reverberated from inside. The flowers were largely pastel. Somehow, they calmed Neil a lot more than the ones he spent his time around. He figured it was because they were unfamiliar and weren’t painful reminders of his life in Evermore.

(Once, Riko had picked him a flower from the garden. Nathaniel had smiled and accepted it, trying to ignore the fact that it was a rose dyed in red and white.

He kept it until Riko decided that it would do no good for the flower to wither and allowed him to throw it away.

Riko hadn’t known that Nathaniel felt sick every time he had to look at it)

As Neil itched for a cigarette, for the acrid smell of smoke and a remembrance, someone approached behind him and spoke. “You know, you’re the only one who hasn’t done anything all night.”

Neil turned. Andrew stood in front of him, his face blank so Neil couldn’t tell what he was feeling.

After a few beats of silence, he asked, “Why does it matter to you?”

“It doesn’t,” Andrew answered. “But it is curious. You’re at a ball. Usually people that attend balls are there to actually do things. Talk, dance.”

Neil’s first instinct was to bow to the higher nobility. It told him to say something respectful, to be polite, and to not cause any trouble. It said that there was no reason to bother royalty with his everything. It screamed that if he didn’t, he would be punished for his insolence.

What came out of his mouth was, “Then why didn’t I see you doing anything?”

An eyebrow rose. Neil tensed, prepared for something biting, but Andrew simply hummed. “Everyone in there bores me,” he said. “I haven’t done anything for the same reasons you haven’t.”

“How do you know I’m not as boring as everyone else?” Neil asked, hesitant to speak freely, but doing so anyway.

“I haven’t seen you bow yet,” Andrew responded. “You had one dance with that Reynolds girl. You haven’t done anything except stand and eat.” Neil had lingered by the buffet table for a while, interested in the assortment of food he would actually be allowed to eat. He hadn’t thought anyone noticed. “You’re a runner.”

At that, Neil flinched back. Royalty never cared. Riko had a tight hold around him, Nathaniel, regardless of Nathaniel’s need to get away and be anywhere so long as he wasn’t in one place for too long. But that didn’t matter, because Nathaniel was a servant to the Moriyama household. He wouldn’t be running away unless he wanted to die.

“What makes you think that?” Neil forced out, hoping his voice didn’t sound strangled. Going from Andrew’s look, he did.

“You have that look,” Andrew said, which didn’t really explain anything for him. Neil waited to see if he would say anything to elaborate, but all he got was a stony stare.

“I hate to be rude, Your Highness,“ –Neil hadn’t meant to sound sarcastic, but it seemed to amuse Andrew— “but don’t you think you should be going inside rather than talk to a stranger? You seemed to be having a lot of fun standing around, glaring at people.”

Andrew clicked his tongue. “I’m out here for the same reason as you. It was getting annoying in there. You’re interesting, so why shouldn’t I talk to you?”

“You don’t seem like the type of person easily entertained by someone you don’t know.”

“I’m not. But I had a hunch and my hunch was correct.”

“What was this hunch of yours?”

Andrew didn’t answer. Neil didn’t expect him to.

“I don’t know what you’re expecting from me if you don’t talk,” Neil sighed. “I can’t be all that interesting. You don’t know me.”

“You know what is interesting?” Andrew said. “I heard Reynolds introducing you as ‘Neil,’ a family friend from another kingdom. What kingdom would this be?”

“Abeille,” Neil answered without missing a beat. He had thought of his cover. Abeille was a safe kingdom, for all its secrecy. Not many people knew much about it, though its language was oddly widespread despite that. He was pretty sure he actually hailed from that kingdom, but he didn’t know. His mother never told him the truth.

Andrew quirked an eyebrow. “Can you speak the language?”

“ _Non, vos oreilles cont ne fonctionnent pas_ ,” Neil replied, face carefully blank. From Andrew’s look, he didn’t understand him. He considered that a win.

“I guess I’ll have to believe you from now,” Andrew decided. “But you’re still a runner. The people who attend royal balls aren’t runners.”

“I still have no idea what that means.” Andrew gave him a look that he interpreted as _And your point is?_ Neil huffed.

It wasn’t as though he expected much from Andrew. He hadn’t actually expected anything from him at all. Now that he was talking to him, he didn’t know what to think of it. What was he supposed to say to entertain him? Should he even try?

Neil didn’t know.

“You wouldn’t happen to have a cigarette on you, would you?” he asked, for lack of anything better to say.

“Does it look like I have one on me?” Andrew responded, giving him a deadpan look.

“You never know.” Neil shrugged.

Andrew wore a contemplative look, and then reached into his pocket, tossing a box to him. Neil fumbled, but didn’t drop it.

“So you did have one,” he hummed, raising an eyebrow. He took a cigarette and a match before tossing the box back. Unlike Neil, Andrew caught it without trouble.

Neil lit the match over the end of the cigarette and let it burn, shaking the fire out of the match. He cupped his hand around the cigarette, breathing in the scent but not taking in the cigarette.

“I’m pretty sure that’s not how you smoke,” Andrew said.

“Does it look like I care?” Neil shot back. “This is just me. I don’t think his Highness should worry.” He wondered if he should be more polite, but he had the feeling that Andrew didn’t really. If anything, he looked pleased, but then again, Neil couldn’t really tell. He already realized that he couldn’t read his expressions all that well.

Andrew observed him for a long moment. It was really more than a moment, perhaps a couple of minutes, and it had Neil averting his gaze while he let the cigarette burn out. The smell of the smoke still filled the air. A painful reminder.

At last, he spoke, just as the last notes of the final song inside the ballroom began to fade out. “Dance with me.”

Neil startled. “What?”

“Dance with me,” Andrew repeated slowly. “ _Luther_ ” – the name was spit out like acid, like how Allison talked about Riko – “told me I needed to dance at least one song. You’re here. We might as well.”

“You realize I’m a man, right?” Neil asked, mouth gaping. Of course he looked masculine, and he was wearing a suit, but from what he heard, the King Regent didn’t like homosexuality. Apparently he was a religious man.

“All the more reason,” Andrew said, not backing down. “Let’s get inside. The next song is about to start.”

“You won’t take no for an answer, huh?” Neil sighed.

“Of course not.” Andrew spun on his heel and strode back towards the party, appearing confident that Neil would follow. Neil glanced at his cigarette and promptly tossed it in the bushes since it was no longer burning, then he followed Andrew. It wasn’t like he could argue anyway.

Neil had never danced with another man before. He didn’t know who was supposed to lead and where he was supposed to put his hands. It was far from proper to dance with someone of the same gender, too, and he felt like everyone was staring at the two of them as they walked towards the center of the ballroom. Most likely, they were. (Allison would never let this go)

Luckily – or perhaps unluckily – Andrew knew what to do, and he seemed to notice Neil’s uncertainty. He took the position suited to lead, so Neil followed suit as the next song began to play.

There were couples dancing around them with the song, but Neil felt like most of the people were watching them. He tried not to notice, keeping his eyes on Andrew as they stepped and spun and waltzed. He hoped none of the Moriyamas were looking at the two of them too closely. He feared they would realize, or at least, Riko and Kevin would.

“Pay attention,” Andrew ordered, voice low. “You’re stumbling.”

It was only a half-truth, but Neil kept his attention on the dancing. He knew he hadn’t been stumbling – he never stepped on Andrew’s feet or made the wrong move. It must have been obvious that he wasn’t paying much attention to the dance itself. Muscle memory and Riko’s previous lessons had him dancing correctly, but his mind had gone far from what they were doing, too worried with having too much attention.

He didn’t need any of that attention. He just wanted to live as peaceful a life he could.

Neil felt the eyes on the two of them again, seemingly doubling, but this time, he didn’t let his mind wander. He didn’t keep his mind on the people or the risk. There was something about dancing, about the action that he hadn’t been able to do freely in a long time that had him actually not want to think about the people around them.

Or maybe it was Andrew’s eyes, hazel and firm and grounding. They wouldn’t let him let his mind wander.

In the back of his mind, he noticed the music beginning to slow. He knew the song was ending, and with him, Andrew began to stop.

They stepped away from each other at the last note. Neither of them bowed, but Andrew offered a nod. He gazed up at where the King and Queen Regents were standing, and smirked at their appalled expressions. Luther looked disgusted. Andrew seemed proud of that fact.

Neil looked around and saw Allison staring at them with her own smirk. Nearby, Prince Nicholas looked to be fanning himself next to the tall man from before, and Aaron just looked shocked. Another scan through the crowd showed the Moriyamas, who didn’t seem to care. Riko didn’t glance their way, although Kevin looked curious. There wasn’t any sort of recognition in his eyes.

“I’m surprised you’re actually a sufficient dancer,” Andrew commented, dragging Neil’s attention back to him.

“You asked me to dance without knowing if I was?” Neil asked.

“It’s not like you actually danced, except with Reynolds over there.” Andrew gestured to where Allison stood, no longer watching them and instead conversing with a maid. “For all I knew, you would be staring at your shoes the entire time. It appears you actually knew what you were doing.”

“Of course I knew what I was doing.” Neil rolled his eyes. “Does this mean we’re done here? I’d like to go back to where it isn’t hot and crowded.”

“How do you know I wasn’t about to ask for more of your company?” Andrew said, crossing his arms and raising an eyebrow. Neil felt like he was being mocked.

“Why on earth would you want my company? I’m nobody.” _I’m nothing._

“And yet, here I am, after having asked you for a dance. You would think anyone would be ecstatic to have the attention of a prince.” Andrew looked at him like he was an idiot. Neil didn’t know what he was missing. He hadn’t realized he was really missing anything.

He hadn’t gone to the ball in the hopes of seeking attention, much less from a prince. The black hair and brown eyes were far from exceptional. They might not have been intentional, but they kept him from being very noticeable. He looked average, and he had been hoping that would keep attention from him.

Except here was Prince Andrew Minyard, giving him attention for reasons that were beyond Neil.

It was risky.

It was dangerous.

Neil opened his mouth to respond, probably about to say something about how he wasn’t ‘anyone’ and he just wanted to be left alone, but the bell chimed loudly overhead.

He looked up, seeing the large clock signaling ten minutes to midnight, and then Allison almost crashed into him in her rush to approach him.

“Na- Neil!” she exclaimed, grabbing his arm. She hadn’t actually crashed into him, but she did jostle him. “We have to go, now!”

“Yes, I know,” Neil answered, placing a calming hand on her arm in return, although he didn’t feel calm. He didn’t see if the Karasu royal family was leaving, but he wanted to leave before they did. He felt the rush that came with a time limit.

“I am so sorry to interrupt you, Prince Andrew,” Allison was saying as she turned to the prince, “but we really have to go. This has been a lovely ball.”

“Thank you for the dance, your Highness,” Neil said, bowing his head. “Maybe I will see you again.” He definitely would, but he wouldn’t be seeing him as ‘Neil.’

Allison flashed Andrew a quick, plastic smile and then tugged on Neil’s arm. He led her out of the ballroom, trying not to seem like they were rushing, but they probably looked a little rushed.

“Hold on,” Andrew said, reaching out to grab Neil’s wrist. Neil turned to him, and he let go. “At least let me know your full name so I can repay you properly. I don’t like keeping debts.”

“Neil, we don’t have the time,” Allison said.

Neil smiled apologetically, hoping it wasn’t a tight smile. “I didn’t do anything for you, your Highness. There’s no debt to be paid, and we really do have to go. Goodbye, Prince Andrew.”

He didn’t let him get another word in and quickly left the ball with Allison.

Near the center of the ballroom, next to the prince’s feet, was a purple flower still in bloom and perfect condition.

Andrew glanced down and kneeled to pick it up, humming as he turned it idly in his fingers.

* * *

“Did you see the Moriyamas leaving?” Neil asked as he stumbled out of his suit and hurriedly put on the clothes he had left the estate in.

“No, but we’re better safe than sorry, and Riko is a _scary_ asshole,” Allison said.

They were in the back of the tailors’ shop, Emmeline having been waiting with Neil’s servant clothes. Neil had gone into the dressing room to change and Allison and Emmeline waited outside impatiently.

“No kidding,” Neil said, exiting the room.

He looked in his reflection, and then looked at Allison, silently asking her to undo her spell. Allison summoned her wand and said a few words, dispelling his appearance. He was back to his auburn hair and blue eyes and the reminder of who he was to Riko.

“Come on, I’ll give you a ride back to the estate,” Allison offered. “Not all the way, but close so you don’t have to walk the whole way.”

“Thank you.” Nathaniel nodded to her and looked at Emmeline. “And thank you to you too, Miss Emmeline, for all your hard work, even if it was completely against my back.” He gave her the suit and the mask.

“My pleasure, Nathaniel,” Emmeline responded, smiling gently at him. “Get going. You don’t want to risk anything.” She shooed him off.

Nathaniel followed Allison back out to the carriage. He was dropped off out of sight of the estate, but still close. It didn’t look like they were back yet. He thanked her again, reluctantly letting her kiss his cheeks.

“Have this,” she said. She conjured the flowers from before, the Enchanter’s Nightshade, and handed it to him.

“Why?” Nathaniel asked.

“Just because,” Allison said. “Go on.”

She pushed him gently, and he headed towards the back of the estate. He washed his face with the water from the well out back before heading inside.

“W-welcome back, Nathaniel!” Conrad exclaimed somewhat-quietly when he saw him. There weren’t any others around. “You look winded! You should wash up.”

“Yes, I’ll do that.” Nathaniel nodded to him. “Don’t tell the Moriyamas, okay? Can you do that?”

He didn’t want to intimidate the kid, but he added a little force in his words and gave him a small glare. Conrad nodded quickly, and Nathaniel sighed.

“Thank you,” he said.

He headed away from the hall, no destination in mind. He wasn’t prepared for seeing the royal family just yet. The walk calmed him and his beating heart, even as he took note of the few servants who were still awake and waiting to welcome the family back.

He found himself in the servant’s quarters. He took the time to put the Enchanter’s Nightshade on the ledge of a window, deciding to deal with it at a later time. He didn’t want to go back outside for water.

He caught his reflection in the window and froze. He traced the ‘3’ on his cheek with a frown. He wasn’t ‘Neil’ anymore. He really was ‘Nathaniel’ again, with his father’s too-prominent looks and nothing of his mother except her height. He missed the freedom of not having the reminders for a few hours.

“Welcome back, Masters!”

Nathaniel heard the call of a few servants. He contemplated staying in the servant’s quarters, but he figured if he greeted Riko now, he would be less irritable in the morning.

He walked, calmly, towards the front hall where other servants were taking the coats of the royal family. He tried not to show anything when Riko beamed in his direction.

“Nathaniel, you’re awake,” he said.

“Welcome back, your Highness,” Nathaniel said. He echoed his words at the others, avoiding looking at Kevin’s frown.

“I’m tired,” Riko told him. “Escort me to my room.”

“Yes, sire.” Nathaniel bowed to the King and the Crown Prince, who were obviously aware of Riko’s favoritism but didn’t appear to care, and then followed Riko to his room. There were no words exchanged between the two of them, showing how Riko really was exhausted. Most likely, he was tired of all the smiling and pleasantries he had been forced to endure.

“I’ll have to tell you about how annoying it all was later,” Riko told him as they approached his room. “For now, I need rest. So do you. You stayed up late. Whatever you did, you look much too tired.” He turned and cupped Nathaniel’s cheek, his hand cold. His thumb stroked his cheek. He misinterpreted the shudder that coursed through Nathaniel’s body as one of pleasure. Nathaniel wanted to vomit.

“I will, your Highness,” Nathaniel said. Riko smiled with all of his teeth and pat his cheek before waving him off.

Nathaniel stumbled back to the servant’s quarters. He tried not to retch as soon as he was out of sight of Riko. His face burned with his touch. He felt sick.

Andrew had been aloof, but he hadn’t touched him except for the dance and when he wanted his attention. There were many rumors about him, but Nathaniel thought that whatever he had done would likely be better than Riko. The differences between the two were astounding. Given the choice, Nathaniel knew he would rather dance with Andrew again than spend the rest of his life as Riko’s servant.

Nathaniel took one more look at the Enchanter’s Nightshade and then went to bed. He pretended not to notice that Jean had awoken.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Abeille** = bee  
>  **Non, vos oreilles cont ne fonctionnent pas.** = No, your ears are broken.
> 
> Don't trust my French in any way. I'm a to-be year three Japanese student, not a French student. I got the translation from my friend in (I think) year three French, but I got the translation like three days ago soo. The reason for "bee" is because according to Google, some university in Baltimore has a bee mascot. And I didn't want to use some other things I found. I was too lazy for that.
> 
> Yeah, I hope you enjoyed the Andrew and Neil! I hope the magic talk didn't seem random, but it's Cinderella, what do you expect? The magic seemed like the only thing that made sense for all of this to happen...
> 
> And yeah, Neil is awfully uncomfortable with Riko. I want to bundle him in a blanket.
> 
> And yes, Ichirou and Kengo and Tetsuji are aware of the fact that Riko has some sort of infatuation with Nathaniel. Since Nathaniel is male, he can't get pregnant, so they don't really care. It's not uncommon for princes to have "bed warmers" (or something of that nature) (don't trust me on this. My information is from BBC Merlin fanfiction and this is just for this era).
> 
> I was serious in my last update though. I'm thinking of adding Kevin/Jeremy/Jean as a background relationship thing because I wanted to write it at least once. What do you guys think? Should I? Should I not? (I'm probably going to, but any feedback is appreciated)
> 
> I don't think I have anything else to say here. Thank you all, hope you enjoyed, kudos and comments are appreciated, etc.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So it came to my attention that I started making flowers a theme near the end of this chapter. Thus, I added "flowers" to the tags. And some of my own comments. Because I talk too much.
> 
> And I decided yes on the Kerejean. Jerejeavin. Whatever ship name you want to give them. I have ~plans~.
> 
> Enjoy, everybody!

“What were you doing up so late?” Jean demanded quietly as he and Nathaniel made their way down to the kitchens. “What could you have possibly done that doesn’t have you coming into the room every so often until past midnight?” The both of them were light sleepers, so even the sound of the door opening was enough to wake them up. It figured that Jean noticed.

“I just wandered,” Nathaniel answered, but the lie sounded weak even to him. “I knew Prince Riko wouldn’t be in a good mood when he got back. I figured it would be helpful if I stayed to greet him.”

“Yeah, sure you did.” Jean didn’t believe him, but he didn’t push when Nathaniel offered no further information. “Whatever, at least he won’t be lashing out at everyone, I guess.”

Nathaniel nodded. “They probably won’t be waking early either. I’m sure they’re all tired. There shouldn’t be any pressing matters to attend to.”

“Knowing Kevin, he’s up already,” Jean said.

“He’s likely in the fields if he is awake. Good morning, Gabriel,” Nathaniel added, nodding to the chef.

“Nathaniel, Jean.” Gabriel nodded in return. “Breakfast isn’t ready yet, but come back in a little while and it should be done. Prince Kevin already came down, so yes, he’s in the fields.”

“Of course he is,” Jean sighed and rubbed his temples. “Does this mean I don’t have to bring him his breakfast?”

“You still need to hang around him, though,” Nathaniel reminded him. “It’s your job to look after him.”

“ _Oui_ , I will,” Jean said.

“He just grabbed some bread, but you might want to get him an actual sandwich,” Gabriel told them. “Check the cabinets.”

“Idiot.” The word was said fondly as Jean prepared a sandwich for Kevin.

“I guess I’ll come with you,” Nathaniel said. “Have somebody call for me or something when breakfast is ready.”

“Will do.” Gabriel nodded again and went back to cooking.

Nathaniel and Jean headed out to the fields, where Kevin was running a few drills on his own. There was a half-eaten piece of bread on a tray nearby. He didn’t notice them as they approached, too busy hitting the targets viciously.

“You’re going to wear yourself out like this, your Highness,” Jean called.

Kevin stumbled on his next toss and turned to glare, but then he smiled when he saw the two of them. “Jean, Nathaniel.” He took off his helmet and shook his hair out of his eyes as he walked towards them. He placed his helmet at his feet. “It’s just light drills. Did you want to join?”

“Jean might be able to keep up with you, but I can’t,” Nathaniel said, although he itched to take him up on that offer.

“With a little more practice, you’d become a force to reckon with,” Kevin insisted. “Come on. We haven’t played together in a long time.”

Nathaniel shook his head. “Sorry. Riko probably wouldn’t want me playing with you before he could.”

Riko shared the same obsession with Exy, but he kept a tight leash on Nathaniel and what he could and could not do. He liked playing with Nathaniel, or so it seemed, but that was only so long as Nathaniel was on his team or gained his approval to play with anyone else. So Nathaniel couldn’t play with Kevin, no matter how he wanted to.

Kevin bit his bottom lip at that and nodded resignedly. “Fine…” He looked at Jean. “How about you?”

“Why don’t you eat an actual breakfast first?” Jean held up the tray with the food he had prepared.

“I ate,” Kevin protested.

“You’re usually a lot more concerned about your health,” Jean said, practically shoving the tray into Kevin’s chest. “The ball must have really shaken you up.”

“I met _Jeremy Knox_ at the ball,” Kevin said, his eyes widening. A look of reverence crossed his face. Jean’s eyes narrowed at that.

“Is that so?” he said, his tone suddenly a bit more bitter. Kevin didn’t seem to notice as he went into a monologue on what had happened.

Nathaniel tried to remember seeing Kevin talking to Jeremy Knox. He easily recalled him to be the prince of Caballo. He remembered him because Kevin worshipped the very ground he stood on, and Nathaniel and Jean had been subjected to more than a few rants about him and his good looks and kind nature and expertise on Exy.

He vaguely remembered seeing Kevin speaking to a boy with what appeared to be a genuine smile. It only stuck in his mind because Kevin wasn’t usually genuine when dealing with people he barely knew. The boy he had spoken to – a man, really – had his own bright smile on his handsome face. Nathaniel figured he must have been Prince Jeremy. He had never seen him in person before.

“Prince Kevin,” Jean cut in before Kevin could rant much longer, “your food. You can tell us about the ball after you eat.”

“Oh, right.” Kevin’s cheeks colored and he took a bite of his sandwich. “You know you can call me Kevin. No one’s around.”

Jean waved him off, looking to the side. He looked a little more sullen, but Nathaniel couldn’t wrap his mind around why. He had seemed fine.

Kevin looked a little worried too. “You okay, Jean?”

“Don’t worry about it,” Jean said firmly. “Eat.”

Nathaniel opened his mouth to say something, but someone called for him. “Nathaniel!”

Conrad stumbled over to them, almost tripping over his feet. In his hands was a pot. “Nathaniel, the—um, that noblewoman told me to give this to you.” He held out the pot, which held what Nathaniel recognized as Enchanter’s Nightshade. Nathaniel took it from him slowly, a puzzled look on his face. “She said to take it as a thank you.”

“Um, thank you, Conrad,” Nathaniel said awkwardly. “You can go now.” Conrad nodded and dashed off again.

“Who gave you that?” Jean asked, his tone suspicious.

“Ah, I think Conrad may have been talking about Miss Reynolds,” Nathaniel answered, still staring at the pot and flower. “I’m not sure what she would be thanking me for…” The lie must have been much more convincing than his last one, because Jean nodded and left it alone.

“Do you mean Allison Reynolds?” Kevin asked.

“Yes, her,” Nathaniel answered. “I haven’t done anything for her though, so…”

“Weird.” Kevin hummed thoughtfully.

“I don’t think it matters,” Nathaniel said, trying to steer the topic away. “I’ll put this in the servants’ quarters and then I’ll check on breakfast. I’m sure Prince Riko must be waking up soon.”

“Ah—“ Jean looked to be about to say something, but he cut himself off. “Right, you should probably go. Wouldn’t want Riko to get impatient.”

“Be careful,” Kevin said.

“I will be.” Nathaniel bowed his head to Kevin and pat Jean’s shoulder once before going back inside. He headed up to the servants’ quarters and put the pot on the window sill. Then he went back downstairs and found that breakfast was almost done.

He took the prepared tray to Riko’s room and knocked once, waiting to see if the prince was already awake and would let him in.

“Come in.” He was awake.

Nathaniel entered with his head down, hearing Riko’s pleased greeting towards him and echoing it back. “Breakfast, sire.” He placed the tray on the desk.

“Thank you, Nathaniel. You can look up, you know.” Riko’s voice sounded amused. Nathaniel knew it was because he was in the process of getting changed. If Nathaniel were anyone else, he would be screaming for them to get out. With Nathaniel, he felt prideful.

Nathaniel forced his head up, but he made a point to not look directly at Riko, who was still tying up his dress shirt. “I believe today is just a day for rest after spending all day yesterday preparing for the ball,” he said. His face felt hot, but not for the reasons Riko was likely assuming.

“Yes, Father said something about that,” Riko mused. “I won’t need you much today, then, but I do want you prepared for anything I may need.”

“Yes, sire.”

“Tomorrow, I believe my Father wants my brothers and I start our lessons again,” he continued. “You’ll need to get the schedule and help prepare things today. You should be able to do that.”

“I will.”

“Good. Now, what did the chef prepare?”

* * *

Andrew was, once again, grateful for the solace of his soundproof walls. He never liked dealing with the footsteps of people across the hall, and all the noise that constantly buzzed around the castle irritated him. It was one of the reasons he spent all of his time in his room. The other reason was because he could pretend Luther and Maria didn’t exist while he read his books.

Except Andrew wasn’t reading the day after the ball.

It was strange, because he could usually be found with a book while he was in his room. If he wasn’t reading a book, he would be looking at some papers that Luther wanted his opinion on. He wasn’t doing either of those things that day.

Instead, he was looking at the _boutonnière_ that sat on his desk.

He hadn’t moved in quite a while, just staring at the purple flower and contemplating the night before. A majority of the ball had been a blurry mix of irritation and boredom, but he could vividly remember the time where he was actually interested in something. That time was filled with black hair and a fox mask and the one dance that he had promised, as well as the flower that seemed to be mocking him.

 _Neil,_ his mind supplied. _The noble from Abeille._

Andrew didn’t know whether or not to believe that. The mask and the clothes _suggested_ that he was a noble. He came as Reynolds’ “plus one” and there was no one around to disprove what they claimed. Still, something seemed off. Andrew had never met a noble who looked so out of place among crowds – other than himself, of course.

He didn’t know anything about Abeille. It was a secretive country that didn’t usually expand its relations beyond a few trading networks. Luther and Maria certainly didn’t care for them, as they along with the former Queen disapproved of the large concentration of magic surrounding and covering the entire kingdom, so Andrew was never given the chance to learn anything about the kingdom. He began to think that perhaps he should, if only to satisfy his curiosity on whether or not Neil was telling the truth about himself.

“Prince Andrew,” came a call as the doors creaked open.

Andrew turned. “Royal Advisor Wymack.”

Wymack scowled. He always did hate the title, which was why Andrew always used it against him. “You know I hate it when you say that, kid,” he said in his normal gruff voice.

“Then you shouldn’t be addressing me with Prince,” Andrew hummed. “You’ve known me too long to call me that. What did you want?”

David Wymack had been the Royal Advisor for a long time, before Tilda Minyard had died in her carriage wreck when the twins were fifteen. He was unbiased in most matters and was a calm head for most people to turn to. Many nobles disliked him for the way he wasn’t afraid to speak his mind and his past friendship with Kayleigh Day of Karasu, but no one dared to speak up against him. He was close with the Princes, and even as he grew older, he could still fight with the royal guards.

Other than Renee, Wymack was the only one Andrew had any sort of respect for.

“The King and Queen are requesting your presence,” Wymack said.

“King and Queen _Regent_ , Wymack,” Andrew corrected. He never tired of saying that. It was a pleasant reminder that Luther and Maria would eventually have to step down. He hated their influence.

“You know what I mean.” Wymack rolled his eyes. “Get your ass over to the throne room. They’re waiting for you.”

“Wouldn’t want to keep them waiting,” Andrew hummed, his voice pleasantly sarcastic. “I’ll be there in a moment.” He waved the advisor off and looked back at the flower on his desk. He heard the door close and didn’t move for a few moments.

Eventually, he stood and stretched, heading out of his room and leaving the flower behind.

He made his way down the halls, the servants scurrying around him and making sure not to make eye contact. Andrew had only hurt a few of them for making insolent comments and being generally rude people, but apparently he had made enough of an impression to frighten most of them. It was like due to the fact that he was almost always glaring and had knives hidden under his clothes. For the most part, he didn’t actually care for any of them so long as they didn’t get in his way.

“Andrew,” Maria greeted tentatively as he entered the throne room.

He didn’t give her more than a passing glance, instead looking around the room to see that Nicky and Aaron were already waiting. Aaron was scowling, annoyed at how long it had taken Andrew to arrive. Nicky just looked uncomfortable. Neither of them liked being with Luther and Maria for too long, for all that Nicky tried to be a good son for them. Aaron was their favorite.

At last, Andrew deigned to look at Luther, who was trying his best to look civil. “Luther,” he said. He made sure his voice held no delusions as to how he felt about Luther. Like his brother and cousin, he didn’t like the regents either. He probably hated them the most.

“Good, you’re here,” Luther said. “We’ve come to discuss the coronation.”

No one said anything. Andrew motioned for him to continue, wanting to leave as soon as possible. The expression on his face made it painfully obvious.

“We’ve decided Aaron shall be the one to take over,” Luther continued, ignoring Andrew for the time being. The decision was a surprise to no one. “Last night, he asked the noble Katelyn to marry him, and she accepted. With a _queen_ by his side, no doubt will he be a magnificent king.” Those words were aimed towards Nicky in particular, but Andrew knew they were for him as well. “In five days time, we’ll announce the decision to the public, and in another five days, we’ll have the coronation followed by the wedding the next day.”

It seemed like a lot of effort, and Aaron looked like he swallowed something sour. That might have just been because his face was a frightening shade of red. Luther didn’t seem to care as he looked at the three princes before him.

“Is this understood?” he said.

“Yes,” Aaron said.

“Yes, sir,” Nicky echoed.

Andrew said nothing, his expression blank. He blinked once.

“Is this _clear_ , Andrew?” Luther repeated, narrowing his eyes at him.

“Crystal, _Regent_ ,” Andrew responded, his tone mocking. “May we go now? Some of us have better things to do.”

“I doubt that, but you’re dismissed.” Luther waved them off with a flick of his hand.

Aaron was quick to leave, Nicky a bit more reluctant, but he followed soon after. Andrew took his time, striding towards the door and letting it shut behind him with an ominous bang.

“Aaron.” Aaron wasn’t far from the door when Andrew called out to him. He cursed and turned, glaring at his brother.

“What?” he said harshly.

“What’s this about a Katelyn?” Andrew asked, his tone light although there was something hidden beneath it. Nicky glanced between the two of them nervously.

“You already know about her,” Aaron replied. His back was straight, his shoulders set back in an act of defiance. Andrew didn’t like it. It was visible on his face.

“I thought we had an agreement,” Andrew said.

“You don’t have any power over me anymore. I said I’d hold off until one of us has to take over, and it’s time for someone to take over. You don’t like anyone, and Luther and Maria would rather bring the kingdom down than let Nicky marry his boyfriend.” Nicky flinched at that. “I’m the only choice, and today, the deal is void.”

Andrew narrowed his eyes. Aaron had his point, but it didn’t mean he liked it. Andrew wasn’t fit to rule a kingdom anyway. It was too much work. Nicky wasn’t serious enough for it. In truth, none of them wanted to rule the kingdom. Aaron wanted to be a physician, like the Court Physician Abigail, but that wouldn’t happen. None of them wanted Luther and Maria to rule the kingdom, either. This was the fastest way.

Aaron stared down Andrew, who stared back. After a few beats, Andrew stepped down for only the third time in his life.

“Then I suppose you will be king, but that means if you get hurt, it is no longer my concern,” he said.

“That’s fine by me,” said Aaron.

A beat, and then Andrew turned on his heel and walked away. With the deal off, that meant he had more important things to deal with.

He stopped by his room to grab the _boutonnière_ , and then he began to head to the physicians’ room. He didn’t want to talk to Abby, but Betsy was likely to be around there since their work was similar. Most likely, she would be of great assistance.

“Bee.” Andrew knocked on the door to announce his presence before entering. Abigail Winfield – Abby to most people – stood, brewing some sort of tonic. Betsy Dobson sat nearby, talking idly about something or other, but cutting herself off to look at Andrew.

“Hello, Andrew,” she said, standing up to greet him. “Is there something you needed?”

Andrew approached her and held out the _boutonnière._ “Look at this. Tell me what you see from it.”

Betsy took the flower gently in her hands and closed her eyes. The flower glowed softly.

Betsy was a strange sorceress, her power unlike many others. She wasn’t quite a Seer, but when asked, she could touch an object and look into what it was associated with. She was also an Empath, meaning she could sense others’ emotions, and coupled with her unique power, she could sense the echoes of emotion behind the object’s use.

(Under normal circumstances, Luther and Maria wouldn’t have kept her around. Unfortunately for them, she was useful and beloved around the kingdom. They couldn’t get rid of her unless they wanted to deal with the backlash)

“Strange,” Betsy said as she opened her eyes. She gazed down at the flower with curious eyes.

“What?”

“This flower, Crown Vetch, was enchanted with magic,” Betsy explained, running her fingers along the petals. “I believe this isn’t its original form, but I don’t know what that original form is. I _do_ know that it won’t wilt.”

“Anything else?” Andrew found his patience thinning. None of this information was helping him get any closer to the truth.

“A raven,” Betsy said. “Well, not exactly. Raven feathers, or perhaps a weakening raven. I’m not sure. Feathers falling to the floor, and I sensed a Seer behind this, but not directly, and another mage who hasn’t found their affinity yet. There was… reluctance over accepting this, and then nervousness.” She furrowed her eyebrows and shook her head. “The differing magic is making it hard to understand. I’m sorry; I can’t get more than that.” She handed the flower back to Andrew.

“No, that’s fine,” Andrew hummed. “I think I know where to go from here.”

First, he needed to see if Renee was free today.

* * *

Nathaniel spent the day after the ball figuring out what lessons Kengo and Tetsuji had prepared for the three Princes. He stopped by Tetsuji’s room to get the list, although that ended in him getting hit for bothering him. He did get the list, though, and he helped the other servants set up the rooms.

The rooms were cleaned and the instruments were polished. The swords were sharpened and shined, as were the armor. The horses were groomed, but no doubt they would have to be taken care of in the morning again. The books were found and placed so they were easy to find. The tutors were reminded of their jobs.

Nathaniel got no help from Jean, because he spent the day helping Kevin with his drills and whatever else Kevin wanted. Riko stopped Nathaniel from his chores for a brief few hours to play a game of Exy with him, Kevin, and Jean. All four of them were on the same team—Riko’s Perfect Court, as he called them. They would be his perfect knights if Nathaniel and Jean were nobles that could join the knights, but they were simple servants.

_(“Court would have to do,” Riko had said long ago when he first wrote the numbers. It had been exciting, back then. It meant Nathaniel could become someone)_

The day passed uneventfully. When Nathaniel and Jean retired back to their room with a few others, Nathaniel was reminded of the Enchanter’s Nightshade that he had left on the window sill. He looked at it thoughtfully, nothing really passing through his mind other than the fact that Allison had thought him important enough to send a flower.

“That’s Enchanter’s Nightshade isn’t it?” a boy said, interrupting Nathaniel’s thoughts.

“What?” Nathaniel looked at him. “I mean, yes, it is. Why?”

“Nothing,” the boy said. “It’s just… Enchanter’s Nightshade means ‘sorcery’ in the language of flowers. It’s a weird gift… I think we might have some in the yard, though.”

“Oh. Okay.”

Somehow, it hadn’t occurred to Nathaniel that there was an entire language of flowers. The concept wasn’t very important to him as a servant, but it was certainly interesting. Jean didn’t look to care, but Nathaniel continued to look at the flower.

 _What was crown vetch again?_ he wondered, remembering when a seamstress had told Allison of the meaning. _‘Success crown your wishes’?_ It made him wonder about the flowers in the gardens in Karasu, and the ones in the yard. What were the chances of Allison having chosen a flower meaning ‘sorcery’ to give to him? He didn’t believe in coincidence.

“How do you know this?” Nathaniel asked, turning to the boy who had spoken before.

“Who, me?” The boy blinked in surprise. “My mom was really interested in the whole thing. She taught me a bunch of things about it before she died. It just stuck to my mind afterwards. She even named me Ren.”

“I see. I might want to know more about this later.”

Jean gave Nathaniel a weird look that Nathaniel paid little attention to. Nathaniel needed something to do in his free time. What was wrong with choosing flowers?

* * *

As Riko attended his lessons, Nathaniel lingered in the front yard of the estate, looking at the flowers. Jean was assisting Kevin with his fencing lesson, so he was on his own with Ren until they finished. He took note of how they were a little lighter than the flowers back in Evermore Castle. It was probably because the servants in Fuchs were of lighter hearts than the servants in Karasu. Nathaniel was almost envious.

There actually was Enchanter’s Nightshade in a few bundles, but they were few and relatively out of sight. Crown Vetch was also around, but like Enchanter’s Nightshade, they were few.

“Dahlias,” Ren said, pointing to a multitude of flowers that were of many different colors. A lot of the yard was made up of them. “Generally, dahlias mean strength and grace, but like a lot of flowers, the colors might make it mean something else. Like blue and green means a fresh start.

“Roses are like that too.” He gestured to the red rose bushes lining the path to the front door of the estate. “Usually, roses mean purity and everlasting love, but black roses mean death.” The black roses outside of Evermore Castle made sense then.

Ren spoke of more flowers that littered the grounds – camellias and carnations and forget-me-nots and poppies and whatever he could remember. Nathaniel paid attention simply out of interest. There really was no way Enchanter’s Nightshade was a coincidence, if they meant sorcery.

Ren was called inside later, but Nathaniel stayed out. He hadn’t had time to appreciate the light colors of Fuchs. The sky somehow seemed brighter than Karasu. He hadn’t realized how much he wanted to see more colors until he had the time to think about it. The flowers were nice. The colors were refreshing.

“I never took you as someone who appreciated flowers.”

Nathaniel had heard the footsteps approaching him, so he didn’t jump at the sudden comment. He _was_ startled at the voice behind the words, though. He turned, surprised to see Andrew standing before him.

“Prince Andrew?” he said, forgetting his manners for a split second. His appearance reminded him of the ball, and he forgot his status for that moment. “I mean, welcome, your Highness!” He bowed. “How may I assist you?”

“I don’t need anything,” Andrew said, waving him off with an unimpressed look. “I came for personal reasons.” His eyes scanned the yard, looking at each flower individually. “Again, I didn’t take you for someone who appreciated flowers.”

“Even us servants need a hobby, your Highness,” Nathaniel said. He kept his voice guarded, suspicious of his appearance. There was no one with him. He apparently wasn’t around for a formal ‘thank you for attending’ speech. It didn’t seem right.

Andrew hummed. He paused, looking in the direction of a bundle of flowers in particular. “Crown Vetch.” Nathaniel flinched. The action didn’t go unnoticed. Andrew looked at him. “You’ve heard of them, then?”

“Yes, just recently,” Nathaniel answered. He could hear his heart pounding in his ears. He hoped Andrew didn’t mean that he knew Nathaniel had been Neil. _How could he know?_

“What do they mean?” Andrew asked. “In the language of flowers, what do they mean? Someone mentioned them recently.”

A pause.

“They mean ‘success crown your wishes,’ sire,” Nathaniel said cautiously. “Are they important to you?”

“They might be.” Andrew looked him in the eyes for the first time. There was something searching. Nathaniel didn’t know what it was, but he didn’t like it.

“Do you need anything else?” he asked.

“No,” Andrew responded simply. “But you might see me around a little more, Nathaniel. You’re a puzzle, you know?”

“…I don’t know what that means.”

Andrew shook his head. “Never mind. I have somebody waiting for me. I hope you won’t tell anybody about this.” The words sounded like a threat, or a promise.

Nathaniel nodded. Andrew turned and walked away without so much as a goodbye. Nathaniel watched him, confused and a little irritated about being confused.

“What the fuck just happened?” he muttered, then winced. Lucky no one was around to hear him curse.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Caballo** = horse  
>  **Ren 「蓮」** = lotus
> 
> Why caballo? Because every time I think "Trojans" I think horse. Again, I don't know Spanish. I just know people in a Spanish class.
> 
> I sort of rushed on this because I wanted to post this before tomorrow. I'm leaving for six days and I would feel everlasting regret if I didn't update before New York. Now if only I could work up the motivation to write my MikaYuu fic and my other Andreil one-shots...
> 
> Anyway, not much else to say here. Sorry for all the flower stuff. Kudos, comment, bookmark, whatever. Wish me luck in New York, for I will surely be dying of heat and anxiety! (I'm kidding) (Maybe)


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *crying* Holy shit...... I said I'd get this in before Christmas and I JUST made the deadline. Holy shit.......  
> I wrote eleven pages of unedited bullshit from California and then my wifi went down and I forgot my laptop charger so I have like two hours before it dies on me.
> 
> Anyway, I wanted to get this over with, so this is really, really bad and really, really unedited. Warning for time skips, Nathaniel's unreliable narrating, inaccuracies, and horrible writing. Also Riko. Riko's an ass. Also I wrote this while listening to Viktuuri playlists on Spotify so I may have accidentally written a few sentences that make very little sense.

Even with Aaron Minyard’s engagement looming, there was nothing for Nathaniel to do or prepare because the Moriyamas didn’t care enough. He ran little errands for Riko and spent time with Kevin when Riko allowed him to, but it was a little too dull. It wasn’t that Nathaniel particularly _enjoyed_ running errands for the Moriyamas, but he couldn’t exactly sit still. Evermore had always been a place for him to keep his mind busy.

Nathaniel would have spent a majority of his free time with Jean, but he was suspiciously absent. He saw him in passing, doing his job and when they were eating. They would talk then and Jean would give some sort of excuse, but Nathaniel didn’t buy it. He didn’t pry because it was none of his business, but he was a little curious about how he hadn’t seen Jean and Kevin together lately.

Joining the Enchanter’s Nightshade on the window sill was the begonia flower. The only one who noticed was Jean, and he said nothing about it or Nathaniel’s sudden obsession with flowers. The begonia meant “beware,” according to Ren. It was fitting, Nathaniel thought, because there were a lot of things that he had to beware of.

Nathaniel kept one ear open for any news of Andrew, or any possibilities of him coming by. Nathaniel felt paranoid that he would somehow find him. He didn’t know why he had allowed Allison to convince him to go to the party as Neil Josten, but he didn’t want that part of him to ever come back again. It had given him a taste of something—a taste of freedom that he would never have. Dancing with Andrew had been a mistake. He was _Nathaniel_ and he wouldn’t be anything other than Nathaniel. Having Andrew find him out… it wouldn’t be good for him.

“Did you hear?” a maid gossiped to another as they sweep the floors. “A few royal guards are going around and asking about that stranger that danced with Prince Andrew on the night of the ball.”

Nathaniel’s hands clenched, but he forced himself to relax as though he heard nothing.

“Really?” the other maid gasped. “I didn’t think the Prince would care that much.”

“No, that’s the thing! It wasn’t Prince Andrew who ordered it, but Prince Nicholas. I think he might want to bring Prince Andrew love.” The maids giggled together.

“I didn’t think Prince Andrew would _want_ love,” the second maid said.

“I bet he doesn’t know anything about it. Nobody can get any information from Lady Reynolds either. Apparently she’s refusing to say anything, just that he’d rather not be bothered.”

“What was his name again? Do you know?”

“Ahem.” Nathaniel jumped as Jean cleared his throat, so caught up in listening to the conversation he was. “I think you two should be working rather than gossiping.” He didn’t have to look up to know that his friend was glaring at the maids, who squeaked and went right back to sweeping.

“Maids, I swear…” Jean muttered. “What’s so interesting about the ball?”

Nathaniel shrugged. “I guess something interesting happened.”

Jean looked at him suspiciously, like he was somehow able to look into Nathaniel’s mind, but then he shook his head. Nathaniel couldn’t help the small leap in his heart that came from that momentary action. He knew there was no way Jean could know—if he did, he would have said something—but it was still a little disconcerting.

Allison hadn’t been around to see him, but he was grateful she was keeping him a secret. He still didn’t understand Renee and what she wanted from him, and he had a feeling he wouldn’t get that answer for a long time, if at all.

“I don’t understand why servants have to go to the wedding too,” Jean sighed.

“What?” Nathaniel blinked and looked at him. “What did you say?”

“I said, why do we have to go to the wedding for a prince?”

“Oh, right…” Nathaniel had forgotten. A wave of anxiety washed over him again.

Riko and Kevin told them that they would be attending the wedding after the announcement. Nathaniel couldn’t be sure, but he was fairly certain it was because he wanted to keep an eye on Nathaniel. He hadn’t done anything, but Riko never liked leaving Nathaniel out of his sight for long. He had only left him for the ball because it would have been bad form to bring a servant. At a wedding, servants could attend in order to attend to their masters.

“Riko… you know how he is,” Nathaniel said quietly.

“…Yeah.” Jean didn’t say anything beyond that.

* * *

Allison never showed up before the wedding.

A new flower appeared on the window sill: Convolvulus Minor.

_Uncertainty._

* * *

The servants that were accompanying the family wore the finest servant clothes, which wasn’t saying much. It was strange to see the Moriyamas in anything other than black or red, but it would be bad form for them to wear dark colors to a wedding. From the scowl on Riko’s face, he wasn’t too happy to be wearing white.

“Do not speak unless spoken to,” he muttered to Nathaniel. “Don’t make eye contact with anyone above you. Do you understand?” Nathaniel responded with a miniscule nod. The scowl on Riko’s face lessened at that, and then a horribly fake smile bloomed as they exited the carriages and entered the hall.

The family played nice with the other guests, Kengo exchanging pleasantries and false “I’m happy to be here”s with the King and Queen Regents. Riko pretended to care about what the other princes had to say and Ichirou discussed possible meetings in the future. It didn’t take long for Kevin to find Jeremy Knox. He was the only one with a true smile on his face as he saw the prince.

Nathaniel saw the way Jean looked anywhere but at the two of them.

Sitting as far away from everyone as possible was Andrew. His eyes scanned the crowd, but to anyone who wasn’t looking, he looked as though he was mindlessly glancing around. Nathaniel recognized the little bit of alertness, the searching in his gaze. He didn’t want to think about what he could possibly have been searching for.

He looked away as Allison came into view. Her smile was sharp as she pointed it at Riko. “Prince Riko,” she purred dangerously, “what a pleasure. I haven’t seen you since the ball.”

“Rumor has it you haven’t seen anyone lately,” Riko responded, his smile equally as sharp. “How’s your fiancé?”

“Peacefully in the afterlife, thank you.” She spoke through gritted teeth and with fire in her eyes. There was no way anyone could mistake her tone for anything but anger. Nathaniel looked down. He wasn’t surprised that RIko would use a woman’s dead fiancé against her.

“I’m surprised that you were actually invited to this wedding,” Riko said. Unlike her, he seemed amused. He didn’t look as though he had just rubbed her grief in her face. “I thought you would have been grieving. It’s not like the Minyards really like you anyway.”

“I went to the ball,” she replied, “so I can go to a wedding. Nicky’s not so bad. He invited me and I decided it wouldn’t be a bad thing to come.” She looked at Nathaniel and her smile eased. It was still sharp. “Nathaniel. Good to see you again.”

“Miss Reynolds,” Nathaniel mumbled.

“Nathaniel.” Riko’s voice was a warning—mumbling was a disrespect.

Nathaniel cleared his throat and looked up at her. “Miss Reynolds. It’s nice to see you again too.”

“So formal,” Allison said, raising an eyebrow. “Well, as _lovely_ as it was to talk to you both, I just spotted a good friend of mine. If you’ll excuse me.” She offers a small curtsy in Riko’s direction, full of sarcasm and complete with the small roll of her eyes, and then she walked past them. There was a small touch of her finger to Nathaniel’s wrist, her telling him that she hadn’t forgotten the ball. It went unnoticed by Riko and it made Nathaniel stiffen.

“The _people_ here,” Riko scoffed. “None of them have manners.” He continued to smile when someone else approached him. Nathaniel didn’t have the time to respond.

He let his eyes sweep across the room again. Jean stood off to the side beside Kevin, continuing to look anywhere but at him and Jeremy Knox. Nicholas Hemmick was still nowhere to be found, and nobody expected to see Aaron or Katelyn. Andrew Minyard was staring at Nathaniel.

Nathaniel furrowed his eyebrows, heart jumping in his chest. Andrew didn’t look away from him, gaze lazy as they scanned him. Nathaniel blinked slowly. He didn’t respond in any way, and looked away after a few seconds of holding his gaze. Nathaniel calmed and breathed slowly through his nose. He hoped he didn’t suspect anything, but how could he?

More guests filed in. Riko continued to lie through a completely fake smile. Ichirou discussed future relations with fellow heirs. Tetsuji and Kengo spoke with nobility. Andrew spoke to no one.

There was quiet when a long violin note played. Everyone filed into their seats. Nicholas snuck into a seat in the front. Aaron Minyard strode down the aisle, donned in white and orange highlights. For an identical twin, he couldn’t have looked any more different than his brother. He looked lighter than him, more at peace with himself. If anything, Andrew looked more irritated.

The orchestra played. Nathaniel fingered the flower around his wrist.

Anemone. _Anticipation._

* * *

“Wine, my lord?” Nathaniel asked.

“Yes,” Riko answered, sending him off with a careless wave.

Nathaniel retreated towards the buffet table. He poured a glass of wine for Riko and just barely managed to stop from dropping it when he turned and almost smashed into Andrew.

“Prince Andrew,” he said quietly, averting his eyes.

“…I remember you,” Andrew said.

“Yes…” Unfortunately, he would. It would be hard to forget someone you approach of your own will.

“Riko made you come.” It wasn’t a question.

“He… likes to have his servant on hand,” Nathaniel explained. “Prince Kevin’s servant is here too. Um, and Prince Riko asked me to bring him his wine. Please excuse me.” Andrew clicked his tongue, but stepped to the side. Nathaniel nodded once and shuffled back to his place beside Riko.

“What were you talking about with Prince Andrew?” the older man asked, smiling with his eyes closed. Nathaniel almost flinched.

“He was simply curious, my lord,” he told him. “It was nothing.”

“I’d hope it was nothing. You know your place, Nathaniel.” He clapped a hand on his shoulder once. Nathaniel tensed and relaxed immediately after. He glanced up at Riko. He didn’t have a tender gaze. It was hard.

A few more moments, and Riko let go. “We will have to stay for a little while longer. It’s disgusting, isn’t it?”

“Yes.” Nathaniel nodded.

“Don’t talk to anyone else I don’t approve of,” Riko ordered. He didn’t specify who he approved of. Nathaniel already knew. It was hard not to, after close to eight years as his.

“Yes.”

He didn’t look away like he wanted to. He kept his gaze down, but he didn’t look off to the side.

Nearer to the edges of the crowd, Renee stood with Andrew, speaking to him in riddles and smiling at the redhead that wasn’t looking.

* * *

“How are you doing?” Nathaniel asked quietly, taking place beside Jean on the edges of the after party.

“I never thought I’d want to go back to Castle Evermore,” he muttered, looking up and sighing.

“Yeah, me too…”

Castle Evermore was dark. It was full of blood hidden behind paint and clever lies. It was memories and reminders of metaphorical chains. If you weren’t branded—one, two, three, four—then you were nothing. Nathaniel wished he was nothing. If he and Jean were nothing, they wouldn’t be noticed.

But as painful as it all was, as painful as being Riko’s plaything was, it was honest. Riko was most disgusting when he wore a fake smile and spoke pretty words. In the Castle, he didn’t need to be a show. He was cruel and he didn’t talk circles. He told no lies to the servants. Nathaniel and Jean knew _exactly_ where they were in his eyes, which was more than they could say about all these people that smiled at each other and spoke pleasantries.

“Kevin’s practically drooling over Jeremy Knox,” Jean added, throwing a pointed look where Kevin was still chattering with Jeremy. Nathaniel couldn’t associate this man with a bright smile with the man that quietly let Riko do whatever he pleased even though the two were “brothers.”

“I… don’t get it…” Nathaniel said. “I thought Kevin was with Miss Muldani?” He didn’t even know Kevin liked other men.

If possible, Jean seemed to become even more sullen. “Yeah, I don’t know what’s going on. I don’t think I want to know.”

“Not our place to ask,” Nathaniel sighed, echoing words he’d heard over and over before.

“What’s the deal with Allison Reynolds?” Jean asked, abruptly changing the subject. “Why’s she so interested in you? You can’t be, you know.”

“I… don’t know?” Nathaniel blinked at him and furrowed his eyebrows in confusion.

“Of course not. Never mind, but why does she care about you?”

“I’m not sure, myself,” he admitted. “She just wouldn’t leave me alone, and she’s kind of… pushy. I couldn’t exactly say _no_ to her.”

“I doubt she’s gotten over her fiancé that quickly…” Jean shook his head. “Don’t get too close to her. Riko won’t be happy if you do.”

“I don’t plan on it. After this, we’ll never have to be around them again.”

“Excuse me! Whoa, sorry! Aha, excuse me!”

Nathaniel and Jean startled as Prince Nicholas stumbled through the crowd, laughing and apologizing to everyone he bumped in to. He almost fell as he broke out and he flailed in front of the two. He stood straight and grinned, tugging his suit into place.

“Hello!” he greeted cheerfully. “Uh, I hope you don’t mind me talking to you for a second.”

Nathaniel glanced around, but he didn’t catch any sight of Riko. He was already tense. There went any hope that he would get out of any sort of punishment.

“Was there something you needed, Prince Nicholas?” Jean asked, speaking when Nathaniel didn’t.

“Please, please, call me Nicky!” the prince said, laughing and waving his hand. “Nicholas is so formal. Anyway! I noticed you talking to my little cousin. You know, Andrew? Not Aaron.” He looked at Nathaniel with wide, shining eyes.

“Y-yes, I was…” Nathaniel regarded him warily. Jean angled just so as though he might need to move in front of him. “It was only for a few seconds.”

“Yeah, but you were, like, familiar with him, right? Would you happen to know anything about the ball? Specifically, the cute boy he danced with?”

“I… I’m just a servant, your Highness,” Nathaniel said. He refrained from reaching out to grab Jean’s coat. “I’m sorry, but I don’t know anything about the ball, or Prince Andrew. We’re not friends. I don’t think he’d tell me anything.”

“Damn,” Nicky huffed. “That was the happiest I’d ever seen him. Hmm…” Suddenly, he leered at him. Jean shifted to force him to take a step back. “Say, you wouldn’t happen to be interested in men, would you?”

“I don’t believe that’s very proper of you to ask,” Jean said lowly. He wouldn’t hurt a prince, but he looked tempted. Nathaniel reached to give his shirt a brief tug, warning him off.

“Alright, alright!” Nicky held his hands up and stepped back again. “Never mind. I just want my cousin happy, you know? Aaron’s married now, and I’m happily in love, and Andrew has no one. You seem like someone he’d like. You’re the only one who he’s really spoken to voluntarily.”

“I don’t know anything about that.” Nathaniel’s eyes darted to the side, catching Riko and his reddening face. “If that’s all, I believe there’s a ball for you to return to.”

“Okay, I get it.” Nicky grinned at him. “You’re cute, though. Too bad you belong to the Ravens.” He reached forward and ruffled Nathaniel’s hair, to his horror. Then he bounded off and Nathaniel was left to frantically fix his hair.

“Are you okay?” Jean asked, taking note of the way Nathaniel’s eyes widened and he breathed deeply.

“R-Riko…” Nathaniel said quietly, chancing a look at the man. There was no doubt that he was angry. He wasn’t sure whether he would be retaliating against him or Nicky.

“ _Merde_ ,” Jean swore quietly. “I’m sorry.” There was nothing else he could do. Nathaniel shook his head.

“It’s not like you could help it,” he told him.

* * *

When Nathaniel returned to his quarters, it was nearing four-thirty in the morning. Everyone was asleep, but a flower was added to Nathaniel’s small collection. A purple hyacinth—I am sorry.

Nathaniel looked to Jean and sighed. Through the pain and the new limp and the new bandages, he let himself smile. His friend, his colleague, his brother in this hell. He didn’t deserve Jean, but maybe that’s why Jean was there.

He collapsed in his place beside him. He was asleep quickly, but he woke all too easily.

Somehow, Jean’s purple hyacinth felt warmer than the roses Riko showered him with that morning.

* * *

Nathaniel didn’t heal in time for the coronation, so he felt every inch of pain throughout his body as the carriage made its way toward the place they’d watch.

 _Going to the coronation is a privilege,_ some servants said. Some were envious. Most looked at him and Jean with admiration.

It didn’t feel like a privilege when everything hurt and he wanted to heal peacefully for a little while.

“You okay?” Jean muttered, not touching him.

“I can handle it,” Nathaniel answered. He’d had worse. He could handle standing for a little while during a coronation.

“Be careful” is all Jean responded with. He didn’t offer a shoulder for Nathaniel to lean on. He didn’t offer to help him walk. It would just end in Riko getting angry, and nothing would be solved. Nathaniel never offered the same for Jean.

They exited the carriage and walked a few paces behind Riko and Kevin. They stood in their area in the grand hall, watching as more people entered. It was bigger than the wedding. Citizens of Fuchs were allowed in, too. There were people everywhere. It was easier to blend in with the crowd.

Nathaniel saw Andrew standing nearest to the front with the Seer, Renee. They spoke quietly, Renee smiling and Andrew with no emotion as always.

A muscular man in long robes exuded power, but not the power of a king. He wore advisors’ robes. He silenced the room quickly, and Aaron took his place in front of him.

Nathaniel couldn’t register any of the words being spoken. His eyes glazed over, just barely noticing every word Aaron spoke, pledging to Fuchs and promising to uphold the alliances between his kingdom and others. He paid attention near the end, when the advisor placed the crown over his head.

The cheers deafened him. He winced and took a step closer to Jean. The Moriyamas clapped politely, but all around them were citizens and other allying kingdoms, cheering for the new king of Fuchs.

The Moriyamas were among the first to leave. Nathaniel was jostled by the crowd in his haste to follow them, irritating his injuries even more. He was fairly certain that some would be bleeding by the time he returned to the estate.

He breathed a sigh of relief as the crowd eased and he felt more open air than people.

“Come on,” Jean said, looking over him quickly before beckoning him to the carriages. The family weren’t far in front of them, but they hurried regardless.

“This is going to hurt for a while,” Nathaniel said, wincing as he sat in the carriage.

“It was going to hurt anyway,” Jean said. “You can still work, though, right?”

“Of course I can. I wasn’t going to try to get out of work.”

He was still capable of walking. He could do most tasks that Riko asked of him. So long as he could do that, he wouldn’t rest. That was how it worked in Karasu—if you could work, it didn’t matter how injured you were.

* * *

They left Fuchs with little fanfare. There were words of thanks to the Regents from Kengo that were wholly false. Kengo didn’t care whether or not he’d have been invited. It was only to keep appearances that they were invited. Appearances, and the fact that the Regents didn’t know much about ruling a kingdom and having allies.

They spoke with Aaron too. They talked about keeping the alliance strong, and they hoped the best for Fuchs under him. Nothing they said was true. Aaron knew it, but he nodded and shook Kengo’s hand in a firm grip before they parted ways.

Nathaniel didn’t see Allison before they left. He didn’t see Andrew either. He didn’t know how to feel about that, but he resolved that he didn’t care much. The sooner they left, the sooner he could let go of the ‘Neil Josten’ that had returned for the ball. Neil Josten was nothing.

The only thing Nathaniel thought he might miss about Fuchs was the flowers. They laid on the window sill in the servants’ quarters. Nathaniel had the Enchanter’s Nightshade in his pocket, but all the other flowers sat dying in the window.

“These weeks were too long,” Jean sighed as he settled beside him. Nathaniel nodded and watched the estate get farther away. They wouldn’t be returning to Fuchs for a long time. He would be happy if they never returned, but there was an alliance to uphold. They would need to strengthen it again.

When Evermore came into view, Nathaniel straightened his back. Jean did the same beside him. They both watched as the castle came in. This wasn’t home, not to them, but it was something familiar. There were familiar people and there was a routine for them to listen to.

“We’re back,” Nathaniel mumbled.

The carriage rolled to a stop and they exited after the Moriyamas. Nathaniel looked up at the castle. It was large and imposing, black and red rather than the friendly orange and white of Fuchs. Most things were friendlier than Evermore, and in that way, they were more intimidating. Nathaniel knew how to respond to fear and quiet cruelty. He didn’t know how to respond to genuine smiles.

The garden was not much of one. The servants didn’t take care of it like they did in Fuchs because no one cared. Nathaniel didn’t know if he would be able to find any more flowers for him to collect. If he asked, maybe Riko would find some for him. He wouldn’t stoop that low, though. Not for some flowers.

“Nathaniel!” Riko called.

Nathaniel started, and then made his way to him as fast as he could. He still wasn’t healed, but he was better. It was enough that he could bring the bags inside.

* * *

Nathaniel settled back into the routine at Castle Evermore. He worked with Jean, didn’t call Kevin by his name, and tried not to be sickened with every _look_ Riko sent him. As far as he was concerned, Fuchs, Andrew Minyard, and Neil Josten were things of the past. They were nothing.

It didn’t take long for the routine to collapse again. ‘Neil Josten’ signaled something—change, drama, _something_.

Later, Nathaniel couldn’t recall how it happened. Riko was mad at Kevin. All Riko wanted was recognition from his brother and his father—just another thing Nathaniel didn’t understand about him—and Kevin did something to get a little sliver of recognition. It was nothing but a nod, but it was enough to make Riko see red.

Nathaniel and Jean were servants. They couldn’t do anything but watch as Riko shattered Kevin’s wrist with a smile and wild eyes. When Nathaniel looked at Jean, he could see the way his eyes widened and his fists clenched until his knuckles were white.

Riko didn’t normally hurt Kevin. Kevin was his status—his number two. He didn’t hurt Kevin, but envy was an ugly thing and Nathaniel remembered why he liked Kevin more than Riko all over again.

The story they gave was that Kevin was in an accident while the two were out hunting. Jean and Nathaniel vouched for them because they had to. Riko was technically higher than Kevin because he was of royal blood while Kevin was just an aristocrat. Kevin didn’t try to argue either, nodding quietly to Riko’s words even as he held his wrist delicately to his chest.

It took a month.

There was an empty seat in the dining hall, everyone waiting patiently for Kevin when Jean burst in.

“Prince Kevin is missing,” he told the hall, face red and out of breath. “He’s missing from his bedchambers.”

There was a silence, and then everyone burst into action.

A letter was found hidden. It didn’t say much, but it was a letter to the public saying that he needed to leave. He wanted time to recuperate and that he would send notice of where he was soon. The punishment from Riko, the anger, was worse than it had ever been before.

When Jean and Nathaniel collapsed together in their quarters, Jean edged two letters out from under his pillow. “From Kevin,” he said quietly, handing one to Nathaniel.

_Nathaniel,_

_I’m sorry to leave you with Riko, but I couldn’t stay with him any longer. Not after he broke my wrist. I hope you understand why I had to do this. I wish you luck, and I hope he doesn’t hurt you too much. Please, take care of yourself and make sure Jean stays safe too. I want the both of you to be okay. I’ll be back, I promise._

At the bottom, Kevin only wrote a large, fancy _K. D._ Nathaniel clenched the letter in his hands and gritted his teeth.

“That _asshole_ ,” he hissed. “He thinks an ‘I’m sorry’ can fix this? That _asshole_!”

Jean nodded beside him, but didn’t vocalize his agreement. Nathaniel looked to see him staring blankly at his letter.

“What did he tell you?” he asked. Jean took in a deep breath and shook his head. He folded the letter before Nathaniel could read it, but he caught the word _love_.

“Nothing,” he answered. “He said the same thing he told you, probably. He’s sorry and he had to—stuff like that.”

Nathaniel nodded. “Yeah. Asshole.”

* * *

Jean was able to find a flower for Nathaniel.

Petunia.

 _Resentment_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I AM SO SORRY THAT THIS IS SO BAD.  
> I promise my writing isn't normally this bad, but I just really wanted to get this chapter out. I think my writing is a lot better when I write in present tense, but I've already started writing like this so it's too late.  
> Uhhhhh, I don't think there's much else for me to say here. I have a little bit of shit planned for after this but I have no idea how I'm gonna figure it all out. I'm sure I'll figure shit out. I honestly have no idea where the language of flowers stuff came from but it's cool so I'm keeping it.
> 
> Reminder that I have a tumblr and if you'd like you can shoot me an ask at a-kingdom-of-foxes about this, or any other projects I might have. I do headcanons!!
> 
> Thanks for reading!


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I said I'd get the next chapter in by Valentine's Day.  
> I lied.
> 
> But school is out for the summer so hopefully more shall come! I ended up having to rewrite this chapter because I wrote like 3/4 of it and stopped, and then when I looked again, I was horrified by how horrible it was. And I'll probably be making a few miniscule edits to other chapters too, but nothing too big or else I'd end up changing literally everything you guys have read.
> 
> Enjoy!

When Kevin Day rode into Fuchs, everyone seemed to think it was for some political mission. He didn’t stick around to give any of the civilians any answers though. He simply smiled and made his way towards the castles. The guards had to let him in, and Luther and Maria were all too happy to let him stay at his request. Aaron didn't see anything wrong with his staying, and with Katelyn's agreement, it was set.

Andrew thought Luther and Maria were just suck-ups. No, he _knew_ they were suck-ups. They weren’t good enough to be the actual King and Queen, so they tried to gain favor wherever they could. He didn’t think they realized that Kevin was so obviously not in the kingdom with his family’s approval. He could see it; see it in the way he danced around questions about Karasu and the fact that his wrist was broken. Andrew didn’t believe in that excuse he’d given everyone else. The entire Moriyama family was fake, after all.

Not that he liked Kevin. Kevin was annoying and overbearing. He nagged and when he wasn’t nagging, he was feeling _oh-so-sorry for himself_. It made Andrew sick. He was supposed to be a prince, but what kind of prince hid from his problems in a whole other kingdom? Why he chose Fuchs, Andrew wasn’t sure, but the unfortunate fact of the matter was that Kevin was staying there, and Wymack wasn’t even trying to get him to leave.

“He’s trying to tell me how a prince should act!” Nicky ranted to Andrew and Aaron as though they were listening. They let him because otherwise he’d be twice as obnoxious about his woes. “Me! As though I’m an actual prince! I’m nice! I’m charming! Who is _he_ to tell me that the way I act is ‘completely inappropriate for someone of my standing’?”

“The way you _is_ completely inappropriate for someone of your standing,” Aaron said flatly. “I’m pretty sure you’re not supposed to go down to the tavern every weekend.”

“As though you two don’t join me,” Nicky sulked.

“But we’re not normal,” Andrew hummed.

“Why are you two even in my room? Get out!” Aaron didn’t dare touch Andrew, but he did shove Nicky out of the door. Andrew followed.

“Now I need to find a new hiding place…” Nicky looked at Andrew with a hopeful expression. “Hey—“

“No.” Andrew turned before Nicky could ask to stay in his room. He had his own room, or better yet, he could stay with his boyfriend. Andrew didn’t care.

Kevin could be found in the stables. He spent most of his time there. He never went out, his wrist not allowing him to go out yet, but he liked to sit with the horses. He knew none of them, but it didn’t seem to matter to him. It was the only place he could get quiet, Andrew supposed. He’d spent a fair amount of time in the stables looking for quiet, but now he had to find a new place to retreat to.

“Kevin,” Andrew said, forgoing the title.

“Prince Andrew,” Kevin responded. He looked confused at his appearance. Andrew just found himself disgusted by his fake formalities.

“Don’t call me ‘prince.’” To most of the kingdom, he was a sad excuse of one. He was the ‘Monster Prince,’ the bastard without being a true bastard. Everyone believed he was cursed by a demon as a baby, or something of that nature. Everyone had expected a shy child when Queen Tilda had been informed of the continued existence of her second son, but instead they got a boy who grew too quickly to survive and had no patience for arrogant nobles. Andrew didn’t care for the title of ‘Prince.’

“Andrew, then?”

“Why don’t you tell me why you’re _really_ in Fuchs? Hm?” Andrew stood in front of him, eyes narrowed up at him. Kevin may have been taller than him, but that didn’t mean Andrew wasn’t capable.

“It’s a diplomatic mission,” Kevin tried.

“Lies, lies, lies.” Andrew clicked his tongue and shook his head. “You see, anyone with a brain can tell that’s bullshit. Fortunately for you, Luther and Maria don’t have brains, and if they do, they certainly have no idea how to use them. So, why are you here? What do you hope to accomplish? Is this a trap? A game? Does your King want you to learn all our secrets and destroy us? Or is that your _precious Riko_?”

The sharp recoil didn’t indicate that he’d hit the mark, but it did tell him that the youngest prince of Karasu was involved. _Interesting_. “No!” Kevin snapped. “Riko has nothing to do with this! I’m here of my own will.”

“And that will is…?”

“That is none of your business.” He straightened, trying to look intimidating, and glared. Andrew wasn’t impressed, but then, nothing impressed him much.

“I think you’ll find that it is. This kingdom, you see? It’s _mine_. True, it’s officially Aaron’s, but Aaron is _mine_. Nicky? He’s _mine_. And I want to make sure your presence won’t bring risks to me and _mine_. If you will, then…” He paused. “Well, you wouldn’t be the first noble I’ve killed.”

There were rumors about Andrew. Nobody knew if they were true, but with that sentence, he’d just confirmed something.

“You wouldn’t dare,” Kevin sneered.

Andrew met his glare with a blank stare. “Try me.”

The stable was quiet. The horses made tiny shuffling sounds and didn’t realize the tension occurring around them. Andrew kept his senses expanded, not wanting to be caught off guard, but he didn’t blink or look away.

Kevin broke off first. His fists clenched at his sides. “I don’t plan to bring harm to you or yours.”

“’Plan to’ means nothing.”

“I came here because my mother knew David Wymack and I knew he could offer protection,” Kevin spat out, looking furious with himself for having to say it. “Riko broke my wrist. I needed to get away.”

Andrew found himself increasingly disappointed in his weakness. “A broken wrist heals.”

“It was no accident.”

Oh.

 _Oh_.

Now this was something Andrew could work with.

* * *

The kingdom demanded answers on Kevin’s disappearance. The Moriyamas remained tight-lipped about the whole situation, choosing to show themselves as calm and collected in the situation. On the inside, however, people were panicked. The servants had no idea what to do. Kengo didn’t know where to even begin and neither did Tetsuji. Kevin was never truly on Ichirou’s radar, but Riko remained _furious_.

To the public, Riko acted the part of a concerned brother, simply worried for what his adopted brother might be getting up to. In private, he was the worst that Jean and Nathaniel had ever had to deal with. He was more volatile than usual. Anything could set him off, and although Nathaniel would like to not be on the receiving end of it all, the other servants weren’t used to his temper as he was. They would break while Nathaniel refused to.

To Riko, Kevin had been _his_. He was his thing to play with, just like Nathaniel and Jean. He may have been held in a higher regard, may have been called ‘brother’ and Riko may have believed it, but he was still little more than a toy. He was amusing to mess with, and Riko was a child. To have his things taken from him resulted in a temper tantrum, not that Nathaniel would ever say that aloud.

Nathaniel and Jean dealt with it as they usually did; they resigned themselves to the punishments and moved on.

“Kevin is certainly arrogant, isn’t he?” Riko mused, standing in the ensuing wreckage of his latest tantrum. Nathaniel winced as he knelt to clean, but he didn’t make his pain known. Riko would simply snap at him for complaining.

“He is,” he agreed, because there was nothing else he could say.

“Really, who does he think he is?” Riko paced. “He can’t just _leave_. He is _nothing_ without us. Without _me_. I took him under my wing and taught him everything he knows about being a prince, and he thinks he can just _leave_? That’s laughable!”

“Indeed.” Nathaniel flexed his fingers, trying not to clench too hard on the broken shards in his hands. The fact that Riko believed he _owned_ them—that he really did _own_ them—made Nathaniel’s blood boil. That, coupled with the anger from Kevin’s abandonment, made it hard for him to control the temper he’d inherited from the father he refused to think about.

“I see you’re just as angry as I am, Nathaniel.” When he looked up, Riko looked pleased. He misunderstood Nathaniel’s anger, but that was fine with him. There was no reason to risk telling him otherwise, so he nodded. “What do you think of all of this?”

“I think…” Nathaniel paused. He had a lot of thoughts on the situation, some of which would be pleasing for Riko to hear. He just needed to figure out how to word it. “I think Kevin made a bad decision. This is, possibly, the worst decision he’s ever made.”

Riko hummed his agreement. “Quite. You’re correct, Nathaniel. Finish cleaning and then leave me.”

“Yes, my lord.” Nathaniel bowed his head and kept it down as he picked everything up with shaking hands. He reorganized what needed to be on his desk and collected the broken pieces of what Riko had destroyed.

He left quietly, first heading to where he could dispose of all the material and then he headed back to the servants’ quarters. It was his luck that Riko had aimed to mostly bruise and not spill blood, so he hardly had to worry about getting blood on the floor.

It was empty, as it typically was during the day. Nathaniel was meant to be shadowing Riko, but when he was dismissed, he was dismissed, and it wasn’t like he would be going anywhere. He knew it was only a matter of time before he requested to be able to go off after Kevin, but as it was, he had appearances to keep. Nathaniel would know when he went off, because he and Jean would be going with him. Riko wouldn’t dare do all the work by himself, or at all.

Nathaniel looked at the single flower on the window sill. He hadn’t had much motivation to find more. There was still a small, burning rage inside him that made everything else duller. That desire he had felt for flowers was smaller, not that there were many options in a dark kingdom such as theirs. He wouldn’t know where to begin to find the perfect flower.

When he had managed to regain his bearings, he began to head out to find a new task. He was met with Jean just as he stepped out of the door.

“Oh, Nathaniel. I was looking for you,” he said.

“Yes?”

“The King wishes for us to clean Kevin’s room,” Jean began. “He wants to see if we will be able to find anything on his whereabouts.”

“Hasn’t it already been searched?” Nathaniel asked. Kevin had been gone for a while now. There was no way the family hadn’t already searched every nook and cranny of his room.

Jean shrugged. “Everybody’s been busy looking outside, not inside. I don’t know, it’s not our place to ask questions.”

“I see. Let’s go then.” He nodded and walked beside Jean to Kevin’s room.

Kevin’s room was almost scarily clean. He’d always been an orderly person, believing in rules and organization and everything that a prince should be. It had been drilled into him when the royal family had taken him in, and he hadn’t wanted to be thrown away. He had a bit of an obsession of looking perfect, just as Riko had an obsession with being noticed. It unnerved Nathaniel every time he walked into Kevin’s room. It lacked life. It was nothing like the Kevin he had grown up around, or maybe Kevin just hasn’t been living.

(But then, neither has Nathaniel)

“Where should we start?” he asked, turning to Jean.

“I’ll take the desk,” he volunteered. He didn’t wait for a reply before beginning to rifle through the papers and drawers. Nathaniel went towards his bed, looking under the mattress and pillows and blankets. Dust was already beginning to gather everywhere, making him wrinkly his nose in an attempt to keep from swearing.

As he turned over one of the pillows, an odd crease caught his eye. He reached inside and took out what looked to be another letter.

“Jean,” Nathaniel called. When he didn’t get an answer, he turned and said again, “Jean. Look at this.” Jean was still rifling through Kevin’s drawers, but heaved a sigh and stopped to look at him.

“What?” he asked. He stepped closer to him to look at the letter. “Is that… what is this?”

“Looks like there weren’t only two letters.” Nathaniel frowned. “Or… no, this isn’t from Kevin.” It explained why it was so carefully hidden then. No one would think to search through Kevin’s pillow for a letter. From the looks of it, he had a _very_ good reason for hiding it.

The letter was addressed to Kevin from Kayleigh Day, his mother. Kayleigh had died long before Nathaniel had the pleasure of meeting her, but Kevin liked to say that she was a kind woman. She had invented Exy with Tetsuji before dying in a tragic accident. Nathaniel had to wonder if that was why Kevin adored the game so much.

Kayleigh Day, though, for all her kindness, was a secretive woman. Sometimes, Nathaniel forgot that nobody, not even the King, knew who Kevin’s birth father was.

“Who the hell is David Wymack?” Jean asked, scowling at the letter. “ _’I’m sure you’ll know where to find him if you ever need his help.’_ That doesn’t help _us_ at all!”

“Does the identity of Kevin’s father matter?” Nathaniel wondered. In his experience, blood family, especially fathers, never accounted for much.

“He probably went to stay with him,” Jean muttered spitefully. “David Wymack. I know that name.”

“Yeah. It sounds familiar, but…” It was tugging at the back of his mind. He couldn’t place it, had likely dismissed the name as unimportant in the past. The problem was that suddenly, it was very important. He didn’t know where to start if he wanted to find the name.

“I’ll look into it.” Jean plucked the letter from Nathaniel’s hands and pocketed it.

“Jean!”

“Nobody knows about it, so nobody will miss it,” he said dismissively.

“But Riko—“ Both Jean and Nathaniel were supposed to cautious. Usually, they _were_ cautious. They did what they could to get the minimum beatings so they could do their job. They wanted to stay out of everything, Nathaniel especially. Jean never did something that could be considered so blatantly treasonous if anyone were to find out about the letter.

“Nathaniel.” Jean hovered his hands over Nathaniel’s shoulders and waited for the miniscule nod that allowed him to place them on his shoulders. “He will not know of any of this. Calm yourself and match me.” He took deep breaths, allowing for Nathaniel to copy him as he watched his chest rise and fall. “Nathaniel,” he said as he started to wind down, “please. Let me do this. I—this is something I need to do. Please understand that. I can take the blame for all of this if he finds out.” There was something desperate in his voice that Nathaniel couldn’t understand.

“No, you can’t take the blame like that,” he immediately responded. “We’re partners. We both take the blame.”

“Nathaniel—“

“Jean.”

He sighed, bowing his head. “I do not expect you to listen to me, no, but I will still try my hardest to keep you from Riko.” There were things that they didn’t argue about. They would take punishments together because Riko had a mind for doing things in pairs. It was part of his obsession with keeping Kevin in Karasu as his brother. But Riko also had his sick infatuation with Nathaniel, and he knew that Jean would try to do what he could to make sure Nathaniel would never have to experience what Jean has. (Riko didn’t care for Jean, after all)

“…Okay.”

Jean and Nathaniel were close. They were brothers and for all that they hated touch, they found comfort in each other’s. Nathaniel couldn’t help but think that if Riko knew that they were as close as they were, he would hurt them _both_ , promises be damned.

(Outside and untouched, a few flowers lied under Kevin’s window. A yellow tulip bloomed.

Nathaniel didn’t notice.

Jean did)

* * *

Kevin was a prince for all that he hadn’t been born one. So, after months of searching and growing agitation, word finally reached Karasu: Kevin Day was being housed in Fuchs.

Luther and Maria wouldn’t have been able to keep it a secret, so all it took was one traveler to spread the news that they had taken Kevin in. There were questions from the people, but the story was that the Moriyamas had sent him to Fuchs in order to strengthen ties while he was recovering from his injury.

The truth was that the royal family was also thrown into a loop by the turn of events. Nathaniel had the privilege of witnessing as Kengo corresponded with Luther over what exactly was going on. As the days passed, he was getting increasingly aggravated. It would only be a matter of time before someone was sent to retrieve Kevin.

“ _Fuchs_ ,” Jean spat. “Why would Kevin go to Fuchs of all places?”

“Do you think it’s because…?”

“His father, of course.” He huffed, anger prominent. “Of course his father is in Fuchs. He wouldn’t go there otherwise. He _knows_ that Karasu hates Fuchs. He wouldn’t risk it otherwise.”

“But to stay with the royal family rather than his father…” Nathaniel’s eyes widened. “Wait, I remember now. I remember who David Wymack is. He’s the royal advisor.” He had sat in on Kevin’s lessons as a child, and one of those lessons involved learning about the important families in other kingdoms. Of course they had to mention David Wymack.

“ _That’s_ why he went to Hemmicks.” Jean’s voice was flat. Angry, still. “That _fucking idiot_. If he was going to run to his father, why couldn’t he have done so in a way that kept him out of the spotlight?”

Nathaniel silently agreed, though he wondered about his dedication towards Kevin and knowing everything he could about the situation. “He’s an idiot.” Kevin didn’t have to think much on consequences, not like they did. “And I guess he wanted to be with his last remaining family.”

“We’re supposed to be his family,” Jean snapped. Nathaniel just shrugged in response. Jean didn’t want anything to do with the family that had sold him to the Moriyamas, but Nathaniel still loved his mother. He knew that if she were to show up one day and tell him that they were leaving, he would go. Maybe he would ask Jean to come with him, but he would always follow his mother. As it was, she was dead and her family likely knew nothing about his being a servant. He didn’t know; he hadn’t seen them in years.

“What do you think Riko will do?” Nathaniel asked quietly. They both knew what he would do, but it was a little bit of a topic change. It would be enough to calm him down, at least.

“Go after him,” Jean answered, tapping his finger. He was trying to reign himself in. “He’ll try and take advantage of Kengo’s need to bring Kevin back. He’ll go to Fuchs saying that he’ll bring him back, since he’s closest to Kevin.”

“And it’ll probably work.” But whether or not Kevin would listen was a whole other matter. Kevin was predictable, but he was starting to become an unknown element. If he had the guts to run all the way to Fuchs to meet a man he’s never spoken to before other than in passing, what else would he do? He’d always been willing to go along with Riko before, but then, Riko had never crippled him like this. “But what does this mean for us?”

Jean frowned. Riko and Kevin both favored the two of them. With Nathaniel, it had been because they grew up with one another, before Nathaniel’s mother and before he really knew Riko. With Jean, it was because he’d been given as a pet and Riko liked having his own pets. So it was a question of what Riko would choose to do with them, as it had always been them four. “I… don’t know.”

Before he could say any more, a servant boy came running in. “Nathaniel! Jean! Prince Riko is requesting the both of you be in his chambers immediately!”

Nathaniel didn’t look to Jean, but it was a near thing. He had been dreading this. Riko had been swamped with attending to his father and trying to play the clueless brother ever since news had reached the castle. He didn’t have time to have a discussion with them, which they took full advantage of. It seemed, now, that he had found the time.

“Right. We shall get going,” Jean said, nodding to the boy. They both headed to Riko’s room, prompt and not at all slow. They would just get in trouble if they tried.

“You two were quick,” Riko said approvingly as he turned to them. “I know it has been a few days, but I trust you two knew nothing of this.” He said it as a statement, a threat, and not a question.

“We knew nothing,” Nathaniel said.

Riko observed the two of them, eyes narrowed, and then nodded. “Good.” He took it at face value, confident in his ability to inspire fear in the two of them. “If you did not know, then that means you have no idea of his motivations.” He suddenly swiped at the materials on his desk, some the same things that Nathaniel had cleaned up not long ago. “What the _fuck_ was he thinking?” he snarled. “ _Fuchs_? That disgusting rat’s nest of barbarians? He’s not allowed to run, much less to that shit hole. He’s _mine_. He’s not allowed to leave!”

They let him rage, let him destroy his own things even though they knew he would make them clean it up. There was nothing for them to say, and it was the safer option. Secretly, this was the one thing Nathaniel would agree with Riko on. Kevin wasn’t Riko’s property, but he was being an idiot. Nobody in Karasu liked Fuchs. It was the worst place for him to have gone, and even if he still chose to go, he could have been more subtle about it.

And anyway, he would have healed eventually. He could have learned to use his other arm in the meantime. It would have made him stronger. It would have made Riko happier. Kevin just put them all at risk with his actions. (Riko was still a prince, whether or not Kengo cared about him. He had influence)

When Riko finished, he looked at the two of them and smiled as he saw Nathaniel’s own clenched fists. “You’re just as angry as I am. Tell me, Nathaniel. What do you think?”

“I think…” Nathaniel flexed his fingers. “I think this is the worst thing for Kevin to have done. We don’t like Fuchs.” He didn’t actually care about the kingdom one way or another, but it was the answer Riko wanted to hear. Allison had been nice. The ball was surprisingly interesting. Prince Andrew was a bit of an asshole, but nothing like Riko. But Fuchs itself was nothing. The entire experience had been nothing.

“I agree.” Riko nodded. “Jean, what about you?”

Jean cleared his throat; it was the only sign that he was surprised at being addressed. “We need to bring him back, my Lord. He shouldn’t be in Fuchs.”

“We are all in agreement then.” Nathaniel didn’t like the way his eyes lit up and his smile widened. It was somehow worse than usual. “We must get my father to bring Kevin back. He cannot be allowed out on his own, and not in that kingdom of all places. He wouldn’t thrive there. He won’t know how to function. It’s only a matter of time before he returns, and I’d prefer him back sooner rather than later.” If he didn’t know any better, he’d think that Riko sounded a tad desperate.

“Yes, of course.” He wanted to ask when he’d be going. He wanted to ask his plans, but he didn’t want to risk his anger at asking things that were none of his business.

“Clean this mess and leave me. I must think,” Riko ordered. “Thank you for your input.” The ‘thank you’ was not genuine in the slightest.

“Yes, my Lord.” Nathaniel and Jean set to work on discarding and righting all the scattered belongings.

* * *

It took two days for Riko to get the approval from his father to let him ride out to bring Kevin back. It was mostly a matter of getting everything in order. He argued to bring along only Nathaniel and Jean, saying that any more would be seen as hostile. They didn’t need another war on their hands. Kengo was too desperate to maintain their reputations to say otherwise. He did insist on two knights joining them.

“Two servants cannot defend you, and I will not be losing another prince,” Kengo had said. Neither Riko nor Nathaniel was moronic enough to think he cared about whether they lived or died. It was only for the sake of keeping the people from asking questions that he cared for their safety. Otherwise, he would likely be content to let Riko die at the hands of bandits.

“So he is bringing us,” Jean murmured to Nathaniel as they readied the horses. There was relief in his voice.

“Of course he is.” Nathaniel was relieved too. He wanted to be able to shout at Kevin, show him exactly how angry he was. He’d abandoned him and Jean. That couldn’t be forgiven.

(He wondered briefly how Prince Andrew was dealing with this. He didn’t seem the type to be able to tolerate Kevin’s presence. He didn’t seem to tolerate much, actually. It was truly a wonder that they’d danced at the ball.

He dismissed that thought immediately)

“Jean! Nathaniel! Have you prepared?” Riko called from atop his horse.

“Yes!”

“Then let us depart! We cannot waste daylight!”

They climbed on to their horses and followed Riko. The sun was just beginning to rise, and it would only be a matter of time before they could bring Kevin back.

They _had_ to get him back.

* * *

“Oh!” Renee was startled out of the vision as she awoke. She had the imprint of a flower in the back of her mind. It wasn’t the same flower that Andrew had asked her to look at, but it had meaning. “Well. This is pleasant.”

She stood and opened the window, letting the wind inside. She hadn’t planted any flower seeds outside her window yet. She hadn’t decided what she wanted, but there was a King Protea like the one in her mind blooming outside.

Renee smiled, gently caressing the outer petals. “I think this will be very interesting. I can’t wait.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Yellow Tulip** = desperate love  
>  **King Protea** = change
> 
> So. Yeah. Probably everyone is OOC. But here you go! At last, the chapter has been released! I feel like this fic just kind of spiralled out of my hands and now I have no idea where it's going. Is this even Cinderella anymore? Who knows? Not me!  
> Maybe now I'll finally get around to answering all my tumblr prompts... (Probably not)
> 
> And I almost forgot! The lovely still-waiting-for-godot on tumblr made [THIS WONDERFUL FAN ART FOR THIS FIC!](http://still-waiting-for-godot.tumblr.com/post/155149164999/crown-vetch-success-crown-your-wishes) I know this was all the way back in December but thank you so much once again! (You posted it while I was at a friend's house and they were all very concerned when I suddenly gasped and fell off the couch)  
> If anyone wants to tag me in things on tumblr, feel free to do so!
> 
> Thanks for reading everyone! Pray that I won't be lazy as fuck and end up taking six months to update again!


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HEY GUESS WHO GOT THIS OUT ON THEIR BIRTHDAY BECAUSE THEY DIDN'T WANT TO LEAVE ANYONE HANGING
> 
> Quick thing to note: I realized 'France' doesn't exist in this world, so French was changed to Abeillan because I kind of used it as a basis, but it's not technically France. Minor edits were also made to the last chapter as a result of me having forgotten literally everything I wrote, but they're not important, so you don't have to go back and try to find them. Also, I totally wrote "Luthor" all of last chapter. I blame my sudden obsession with DCU.
> 
> Hey, you didn't have to wait six months this time! I wanted to get this out along with all my tumblr prompts, but it looks like I'll have to save those for another day. Enjoy the chapter!

The ride to Fuchs was a ten day journey. Nathaniel would consider it torture, if it didn’t mean that Riko would be unable to touch both him and Jean during the journey. If it were just the three of them, then he’d be free to do and speak as he pleased. However, there were other guards with them, and so Riko wouldn’t risk breaking his image. Anyone of higher status than a servant was essentially blind to Riko’s true nature, save for Tetsuji, who encouraged it.

The ten days, though they were stressful, was the longest he’d spent not being Riko’s _thing_ in years. He was always there to remind Nathaniel that he was nothing more than a possession, and the only one who cared for him was Jean, Kevin, and… him. Riko. ( _Care_ was pushing it) Being in close quarters with nobles meant that Riko couldn’t act. He was left to stew on his own. It would mean harsher treatment when they reached Fuchs and were given private rooms, but Nathaniel welcomed the rest.

No daylight was wasted. They only stopped to rest and hunt for food, but otherwise, they journeyed as fast as they could. Nathaniel and Jean were tasked with cooking and setting up when they stopped for the night. The guards pushed them around some, but didn’t harm them, so it was nothing to them. Nathaniel was sure the guards were curious as to why their prince was being so hasty, but they knew better than to ask. They chalked it up to Riko being a slightly overbearing brother.

“Why do you think Prince Kevin left anyway?” one guard—Nathaniel had forgotten their names—whispered while Riko was supposed to be sleeping in the tent. Nathaniel was pretty sure he hadn’t actually slept during the whole journey.

“Hell if I know,” the other guard answered. “Hey.” He nudged Nathaniel lightly. Not expecting to be addressed, he barely stopped from jumping. Jean frowned. The man didn’t notice. “Would you know? You guys are close to them, right? You’re always shadowing them.”

“We would not know,” Jean said. “The princes do not talk to us about personal matters.”

It was a lie, not that they would know. It would make no sense for royalty to consult with servants. But Nathaniel had grown up with them, had earned their small amount of trust somehow, and Jean had become one of theirs. Kevin talked to them when he could, and Riko used them and controlled them. They knew more than they should.

“Why would you think _servants_ would know anything?” the first guard scoffed, rolling his eyes. All knights were nobles. Nobles thought nothing of servants.

“You have a point there,” the second guard snickered.

They were left alone as the knights gossiped. There was one more day left. Nathaniel both anticipated and dreaded the end of it.

They exited the forest around midday. There was still some ways to travel, but they could see the large expanse of the kingdom. Nathaniel hadn’t been able to see it the last time they’d been in Fuchs, but now, he saw how impressive it was. The kingdom was brighter than Karasu, with white homes and bright flags and a beautiful field surrounding it.

He didn’t dare comment on it. Riko was visibly disgusted by the village. He’d grown up in the darkness; he didn’t care for pleasantries. (Nathaniel, on the other hand, had grown up with red, deep red, not the dark red of Karasu and Evermore. Later, he’d grown up with green and yellow and grey and colors he didn’t have time to consider. It was only after that that he had to live in black)

“Father informed me that there will be someone awaiting our arrival,” Riko said. He didn’t wait for an answer; not that anyone would answer.

They followed him silently towards the entrance to Fuchs. The entrance gate was open, guarded by knights as always, but another two knights also stood, conversing with the guards. When they saw the entourage, they abruptly stopped and stood straight.

“Prince Riko,” the taller knight said. “It is good to see that you have arrived safely. The King and Queen have asked us to escort you and your companions to the castle.”

“Very well,” Riko said blankly. As always, he was perfect picture of poise. He didn’t seem as impatient as he surely was.

The two knights nodded to the guards, then led them into the village. Nathaniel kept his gaze straight ahead on the knights, but there was a small urge to look around. He had seen the village the last time he was in Fuchs, but he wanted to look again. He didn’t know why—maybe it was just to compare it to Karasu, or to familiarize himself with the color before he headed back. He didn’t know, but he didn’t dare try.

The castle looked different in the daylight. It wasn’t shrouded in mystery as it had looked the night of the ball. It was lighter, friendlier, but still imposing as any castle would be.

They dismounted from their horses and a few stable boys led the horses away. Riko watched them with slightly narrowed eyes, as though to make sure nothing would actually happen to them.

“They will be taken care of,” the tall knight assured him. “The advisor is waiting inside to speak with you.”

They were led through the large doors at the front. Before, Nathaniel hadn’t had time to look around while he had been at the ball. He hadn’t wanted to, and he was a bit preoccupied with being found out. He could remember the gold highlights of the ballroom and the orange decorations, but most of the night had been taken over by Andrew Minyard and his paranoia. He hadn’t dared to explore further than the garden.

Now, he saw the full expanse of the open area. It was tamer than the ballroom, the colors less bright and eye-catching. Two hallways went off on each side of the room. The large, split staircase in front of them had a burnt orange lining the railings. Between the staircases stood a large, muscular man clad in conservative clothes, waiting for them.

“Prince Riko,” the man said. “My name is David Wymack. I am the advisor to the royal family of Fuchs.”

“I know who you are,” Riko said. Nathaniel subtly straightened his back. Out of the corner of his eyes, he could see Jean’s hand twitch.

Looking at him, they could see the similarities between Wymack and Kevin. Kevin was paler in skin tone since he rarely left Karasu, but they had similar build. It was in their features. While Kevin took after his mother in most ways, now that Nathaniel was looking, he could see how they were related. He doubted anyone other than himself and Jean saw it.

“You have a few options here,” Wymack said roughly. “You can rest in your rooms first. You’re probably tired after travelling for so long. You can also speak to the King and Queen about the situation. Or I can find Kevin for you.”

“I wish to see my brother,” Riko said immediately. He was impatient. It seemed it had taken a lot for him to not interrupt.

“Alright. I believe he is in the gardens.” Wymack nodded. He looked to the knights. “Boyd. Wilds. Either call someone to show them to their rooms or do it yourselves.”

“We’ll do it,” said the tall knight. Nathaniel didn’t know if he was Boyd or Wilds, but he was the only one to have spoken.

“Nathaniel. Jean.” Riko turned to face them. Nathaniel stood at attention. “Help bring our things to our rooms. I expect you two to join me later.”

They nodded wordlessly. Wymack led Riko away, and the Fuchs knights led Nathaniel, Jean, and the guards to their rooms. The guards had their own rooms, but Nathaniel and Jean were put with the other servants once they dropped Riko’s things in his room.

The tall knight removed his helmet to give them sympathetic looks. It baffled Nathaniel. “Sorry you don’t have your own rooms,” he apologized. His hair was spiked every which way, possibly because of the helmet. “The former regents didn’t think it important for you to get your own rooms. The King doesn’t really care now.”

“It is only expected,” Jean said, frowning at them.

“Prince Riko wanted you two to join him, yeah?” the knight said. “Follow me. Dan, you can go on without me.” The knight who hadn’t spoken nodded. He nodded to Nathaniel and Jean too, and promptly left.

“Would you be Boyd or Wilds?” Jean asked as they were led back down the stairs.

“It’s Matthew actually,” he answered, a small grin on his face. “Matthew Boyd. Or you can call me Matt. I’m not too fond of formalities. You’re Nathaniel and Jean?”

“Yes,” Jean said. “I’m Jean. He’s Nathaniel.”

“Nice to meet you. So, if you don’t mind me asking, what’s with Prince Riko?” he stage whispered, a mischievous gleam to his eyes. He didn’t get the reaction he likely hoped for, given how Nathaniel instinctively tensed. Again, Jean’s fingers twitched.

“What do you mean?” Nathaniel asked carefully, warily.

“Well…” Matt deflated a bit, but quickly recovered. “He just seems a bit uptight. I don’t know the situation all that well, but this isn’t that big of a deal, right? We’re allies now, so it’s not like Prince Kevin committed treason or anything.”

“It’s a delicate situation,” Nathaniel responded. “It’s complicated.”

“We have no jurisdiction over that information,” Jean said flatly. He stared at Matt with a blank look, hoping to unnerve him. It seemed to work, as he looked away.

“Well, okay then,” he said. “The gardens are just this way. Your princes should be there.” He gestured to out the back doors. Nathaniel remembered the gardens. The flowers had been prettier in the night. The cloudy sky shielded the flowers from the sun.

“Thank you, Sir Boyd,” Jean said.

“It’s Matt, but no problem.” Matt waved a hand at them and left them. They could hear talking a little further into the gardens. Surprisingly, it didn’t sound like an argument, but Riko did sound like he was starting to lose his temper.

They moved further into the garden, following the voices, and found Riko spitting words at Kevin. Kevin’s eyes were wide. He looked like he wanted to run. Riko was losing his composure. Nathaniel almost didn’t notice, but it would have been hard not to notice Prince Andrew sitting on a nearby bench. He looked bored. His presence was the only reason Riko hadn’t exploded.

“—just leave without telling anyone,” Riko spat. “You are needed in Karasu. Fuchs isn’t for you.”

“It’s just for a short while,” Kevin insisted. “It helps the alliance if Karasu trusts me to stay here.”

“We have company,” Andrew said. He had seen them as soon as they walked in. Nathaniel hoped he didn’t remember him.

Riko spun on his heel, but his expression turned almost-pleasant when he saw them. Nathaniel never liked that look. It was always a terrifying reminder. “Nathaniel,” he said lightly. “Jean. Good of you to join us. Do _you_ have any words to say to Kevin? Feel free to speak your mind. It’s only us. And Prince Andrew.” He sounded like he was holding back exactly how frustrated he was with Andrew’s presence. He didn’t appreciate having to force himself into false politeness so as not to ruin his image. He didn’t seem to realize his image was already ruined anyway.

“Hello again,” Andrew said lazily, waving a hand.

“Prince Andrew,” Nathaniel said, bowing his head. Jean shot him a look, but echoed his movements.

“So? Your thoughts?” Riko said impatiently, crossing his arms. Despite his lack of height, Nathaniel still felt like he was looming over him.

“Prince Kevin…” Nathaniel said quietly, turning to him. He glanced up at him. Kevin looked oddly vulnerable. He wasn’t used to it. “You have caused… strife. It might not have been the best decision.”

“You left,” Jean said flatly. There was a storm brewing beneath his skin. Nathaniel had no doubt he wanted to lash out too. He still didn’t understand it, but he was angrier than Nathaniel was about Kevin’s running away.

“Jean…” Kevin looked hurt. Riko looked satisfied.

“Do you see?” he asked, turning back to him. “Nathaniel and Jean agree with me. You made a mistake.”

“Can we… not talk about this here?” Kevin asked, glancing at Andrew. He didn’t seem interested one way or another, but he hadn’t stopped watching them either. He raised an eyebrow at Kevin’s look.

“Oh no, Kevin.” He shook his head, clicking his tongue. “We made a deal. I’m not going anywhere.”

“ _What_ deal?” Riko hissed. He turned his attention onto Andrew, glaring at him. “What did you tell him?”

“I didn’t tell him anything. I just made a deal.” Andrew leaned forward, elbows on his knees and chin hooked atop his interlaced hands. “Why don’t you explain why you broke Kevin’s wrist?”

Riko turned an alarming shade of red. “How _dare_ you even imply such a thing! I would never harm my own brother!”

“That’s not the story I heard,” Andrew said idly.

“Andrew, you are _not helping_!” Kevin said through gritted teeth.

“Who said anything about helping?”

“What the fuck is going on?” Jean voiced. His hands were clenched at his sides in frustration. Nathaniel was tense himself, uncertain about the situation and what exactly Kevin had done. He was concerned about how Riko would retaliate, and what this would mean for Karasu. What would Kengo think? Would Kevin come home? He didn’t know, and that was the most irritating thing.

Everybody looked at Jean. It was quiet for a few moments. They were all infinitely lucky that it was just them in the gardens. The servants had likely been instructed to stay away. It wouldn’t do to have servants gossiping, and it would be even worse if anything was discussed and something of importance got out. Nathaniel felt jittery. He didn’t like being outside while everything was tense like this. It was so much more risky than if they found a room to speak.

“I refuse to talk about this out here,” Kevin said. He shuttered the vulnerability in his expression, leaving only a hard look in its place. Jean scowled at him.

“Just this once, I will agree,” Riko sneered. “ _Prince Andrew_ —“ he spat his name like it left a bad taste in his mouth, “is there anywhere in the palace where we could have this conversation? In _private_?”

“There might be. We’ll see.” Andrew glanced at Nathaniel and Jean. Caught off-guard, Nathaniel’s breath suddenly caught and his heart skipped a beat. He didn’t seem to recognize him, but Nathaniel couldn’t be sure. “Will they be coming?”

“Of course,” Riko sniffed. He didn’t elaborate. He didn’t feel the need to when it wasn’t Andrew’s business, even if he seemed to think it was. Riko, Kevin, Nathaniel, and Jean were supposed to be a team; he wouldn’t be leaving them out. He was conservative in his class beliefs, but Nathaniel and Jean were different, particularly Nathaniel.

“Okay.” Andrew shrugged and stood. He led them inside, with Kevin quickly following after him. Riko gritted his teeth as he went after them. A quick glance at Jean showed the tenseness of his jaw and the way he flexed his knuckles.

“Jean,” Nathaniel murmured, reaching to touch his hand.

“I’m fine,” Jean snapped. He marched ahead. Nathaniel frowned minutely and followed.

Andrew led them to the Solar. It was empty, which was unsurprising. It was homier than the Solar in Castle Evermore, which was beginning to become an unsurprising occurrence. Everything in Fuchs was starting to seem homier, and it was unnerving. Nathaniel didn’t trust it. The furniture was softer in color rather than black and red. It was messy in a way that suggested people would return to finish cleaning. The Solar back in Evermore was neat. It didn’t feel like the family sitting room it should be; rarely anyone ever actually sat in there. The room in Evermore would have started to collect dust if Nathaniel and Jean weren’t there to tidy.

Once the door shut behind them, Riko rounded on Kevin again. “Why does Andrew Minyard insist on his presence? What have you done, Kevin? You must have complicated everything. You were supposed to come home immediately. I am waiting for your explanation, Kevin.”

Riko was nearly a whole foot shorter than Kevin, only inches taller than Nathaniel himself. But Kevin somehow seemed smaller when faced with him. Riko’s entire presence exuded danger in a way Kevin’s never did. It was why he was terrifying. He was demanding, and Kevin—for all that he was harsh and had a temper of his own—couldn’t compete with that. They had been brothers for so long that Kevin didn’t know how to stand against him.

“Andrew is helping me settle,” Kevin tried. He stood straight and tall, but his eyes flickered in a way that meant he wasn’t as confident as he tried to seem. “I came here to get away. It works for the better, anyway. I can stay here under the guise of forging a stronger relationship. I don’t want to go back, and unless the King forces me, I won’t.”

“Since when do you decide that?” Riko barked a condescending laugh. Nathaniel kept from flinching. “Jean, what do you think?” The look in his eyes promised retaliation if Jean didn’t say what he expected. Fortunately for them, this was the one time Jean felt the same thing he did.

“Kevin, you should return to Karasu,” he said without a moment’s pause. “You don’t belong here.”

Kevin blinked as though he hadn’t been expecting that. “Jean…”

“And you heard Nathaniel earlier,” Riko continued. “You should just come home. What do you hope to accomplish here? What does _Andrew Minyard_ have to offer you? Tell me, what is this deal of yours?”

“I don’t believe that’s any of your business,” Andrew said, crossing his arms.

“It is my business!” Riko snapped, rounding on him. “He is a prince of Karasu and my brother! We do not keep secrets!” Andrew was shorter than even him, but he didn’t back down. He blinked slowly, seemingly unconcerned. Nathaniel could feel himself growing more and more tense as the situation continued. Even though Andrew was apathetic at best and a bit of an asshole from what he could see, Nathaniel still didn’t wish Riko on him. Riko was deadly. He knew this better than anyone, except Jean.

“He’s a guest of Fuchs,” Andrew replied. “There’s no danger if he decides to stay here. What does it matter?” That wasn’t the answer Riko had been looking for.

His eyes flashed and he lunged for Andrew. Nathaniel wasn’t sure if he meant to strangle him or tackle him, but Andrew was quick to duck under his arms. When Riko turned, Andrew was there to strike the bottom of his nose with the palm of his hand. While he was disoriented, Andrew pinned him to the wall, his forearm to his throat. Nathaniel saw the glint of a knife in his other hand pressed to Riko’s stomach. Even with his nose bleeding, Riko stared down at him with contempt in his gaze.

“I can tell Luthor and Maria that you attacked me and we can risk a war,” Andrew said flatly. It was a fact, not a threat. “I can stab you and leave you to die. Or you can walk away and leave us be. What sounds like the best option for you?”

“You can’t kill me,” Riko said defiantly, head tilted up. “That would also be cause for a war. Nathaniel and Jean are witnesses.”

“Unlike you, I’m not looking for daddy’s approval.” That had him snarling. He pushed Andrew off of him, but didn’t try to attack him again. Likewise, Andrew didn’t try using the knife in his hand.

“I have packed to stay for a week,” Riko snarled at Kevin. “You _better_ make a decision by then.” He stalked off out of the room. Nathaniel glanced between the door and Kevin, wanting to stay to give Kevin his own talking-to, but not a moment after his exit, Riko shouted, “Nathaniel!”

“Kevin,” Nathaniel said. “Prince Andrew.” He bowed his head and then hurried after his own prince, leaving Jean with the other two.

Riko didn’t even look at him, only ordered him to show him to his chambers. Once the door was shut behind them, he struck him. Nathaniel didn’t flinch, unsurprised by the reaction. His head snapped to the side with the force of it, but he didn’t lift his head. His cheek stung, and could have even been bleeding with Riko’s nails too.

“The _nerve_ ,” he hissed. He swiped a handkerchief, wiping his nose roughly. Nathaniel looked up at last, not reacting. He let Riko take out his fury on him as he always did. It was easiest. “That—that little _monster_. He hasn’t even been a prince all his life. He’s a _street urchin_. Moreover, he doesn’t know anything about what Kevin and I are. Who said he could dictate anything? He’s just the prince that was discarded. He’s only a prince because word got out about him. And _Kevin_. What is he thinking? How dare he? I gave him a home. He can’t thrive in Fuchs.”

Nathaniel stayed silent. When he suddenly grabbed him by the hair and tilted his head back to look him in the eye, he didn’t react. Riko grinned with all his teeth. It wasn’t a nice grin. It was sharp, tense with irritation. “You won’t ever leave me, will you, Nathaniel?” he cooed. “You’re _mine_. You know your place. You don’t have a family name anymore, do you? You’re just a no-name servant. You’re _nothing_ without me. You’re aware of your status, unlike Kevin. You won’t ever leave.”

There was a tinge of desperation under his words. If Nathaniel were a kinder person, he might have felt sympathy for him. It was, after all, Tetsuji that whispered those dangerous words to him. Riko had always had a temperament, but it was Tetsuji that molded it into something he could use.

But Nathaniel wasn’t a kind person. He had suffered under Riko for too long to feel that sympathy for him. All that brewed in his stomach was that familiar hatred, and the fear that he would never be able to escape. As clearly as he could, all he could manage was, “No. I won’t leave, your Highness.”

“Good.”

The kiss that was pressed to his lips was harsh. It felt like bile was rising in his throat.

* * *

Nathaniel was worse for wear when Riko finally let him go. The kiss was all the dubious affection he may have gotten, but he did get the beating that Riko hadn’t been able to give anyone else. He winced with every step he took. His lip bled, but his face had mostly been left alone. His arm ached, but he didn’t dare grab at it.

“I must speak with the Regents,” Riko said as Nathaniel exited the room. “You won’t be needed. Go find Jean and make sure he hasn’t done anything… unseemly. Don’t make a scene.”

“Yes, of course.” Nathaniel nodded and left him.

He didn’t know where to go. He headed to the servants’ chambers first, but didn’t see Jean. A quick glance in the Solar showed he had left as was suspected. He wandered the ground floor aimlessly, not quite sure where to go. He stopped a maid to ask if she had seen a tall man with black hair and a four on his cheek, but she hadn’t.

So focused with finding Jean, Nathaniel didn’t hear the quick footsteps coming from behind him. He practically jumped as a hand clapped his shoulder. He turned, eyes wide and a short flare of pain rising at the touch, and he found the bright grinning face of Nicky Hemmick.

“Hey there!” he said, beaming. “I remember you! You were at Aaron’s wedding! I heard the prince of Karasu would be coming by, but I didn’t expect the pretty servant boy to be there too.” He leered in a way that made Nathaniel wary.

“Prince Nicky…” he said.

“Just Nicky!” he insisted. “No need for the ‘prince’ thing, okay?”

“Nicky,” Nathaniel corrected. “Is… there a reason for your greeting?”

“Can’t I just say hello?” He tried to throw an arm around Nathaniel’s shoulders, but he ducked out of the way before he could. Luckily, he wasn’t offended. “Alright, alright, you caught me. I’m actually wondering if you know anything about what’s going on? Nobody is telling me anything about why Prince Kevin is here! He told us that he was here for diplomacy, but then it turns out he left without anyone knowing? What’s up with that? And a little while after his arrival, suddenly Andrew is all protective over him. Andrew isn’t protective over _anyone_ , so obviously there was some sort of deal made. You wouldn’t happen to know anything about that, would you?”

“I…” Nathaniel knew he should say he knew nothing. He wasn’t supposed to know that Kevin had left because Riko had crippled him. He shouldn’t say anything about what happens behind the castle gates. It was true he didn’t know anything about the deal Kevin and Andrew made, but he did know why Kevin left.

“Nicky.” Andrew stepping in front of them, blank as always, was a blessing in disguise. Nicky didn’t seem to hold his sentiments as he stepped back, grin suddenly turning nervous. “You’re not telling any stories, are you? Or asking anything you shouldn’t.”

“What? Of course not!” Nicky chuckled weakly. “I was just saying hello to our guest here. Nothing else, promise!”

Andrew didn’t deign to respond. He looked to Nathaniel instead. “I was asked to find you while Kevin and Jean were busy _talking_.”

“What?” Nathaniel said. “I mean, okay.” He bowed quickly to Nicky and then walked to Andrew’s side. “Pleasure to see you again, Pr—Nicky.” That was a lie.

“You too!” His grin turned a bit more genuine as he waved him off. “It’s always a pleasure to have a new pretty face in the castle.” Nathaniel flinched. It didn’t go unnoticed by Andrew.

“Nicky.” With just his name, Nicky immediately backed off. With another nervous chuckle, he waved and went off, saying something about finding Aaron.

“Where are Jean and Kevin, if you don’t mind my asking?” Nathaniel asked as he followed Andrew.

“I loathe formalities,” Andrew said shortly. “I thought I told you this the second time we met.”

“I—what?” Nathaniel hadn’t thought himself important enough to be remembered.

“We’ve met three times already. There’s no way you don’t remember.” He didn’t look at him as he addressed him, keeping his gaze straight ahead.

“No, I remember. I… didn’t expect you to, is all.”

“I have a good memory. Don’t be formal with me from now on. It’s an annoyance. I’ve told you this.”

Nathaniel hated formalities too. It was an ingrained habit, though. He only ever let it drop with Jean, and occasionally Kevin. “Sorry,” he said.

“I don’t care. They’re in Kevin’s chambers.” Andrew glanced at Nathaniel once. It was enough to catch sight of the crushed and withering Statice flowers in his suit pocket. Somehow, they hadn’t been totally destroyed. There were a few drops of red dotting the purple petals. “You still like flowers.”

“Oh. Yes.” Nathaniel lifted his better arm slowly to gently touch the flowers.

Something in his action must have given him away because Andrew suddenly stopped and grabbed his arm. Nathaniel bit his lip to keep from making a sound. “You’re hurt,” he said. He didn’t sound concerned. “You weren’t hurt earlier.”

“I’m fine,” Nathaniel responded, perhaps a bit too snappish. He wrenched his arm back, ignoring how it stung. “Where are Kevin’s chambers?”

“You were limping too,” Andrew continued, ignoring the question. “It was Riko, was it not?”

“You said you were sent to find me,” Nathaniel said coldly. “You should be taking me to them.” Andrew didn’t want formalities, so he wouldn’t be getting any. Not when Nathaniel’s business was his own. He didn’t have any right to ask, even if he had decided that Kevin was his responsibility.

Andrew searched for something on his face. He looked him over, eyes flicking over wounds that were carefully hidden by Nathaniel’s clothes. “Fine,” he decided. He started walking again, but Nathaniel felt as though, somehow, this wasn’t over.

They stopped in front of a room on the second floor. Andrew opened the door, and as he did so, Nathaniel could hear the arguing from within.

“—eft _me_!” Jean was saying, anger in his voice. He was talking in Abeillan. “I keep telling you and you just don’t get it! I don’t care about all that other stuff! I care about what you didn’t do!”

“I don’t know what that means!” Kevin shouted back. He sounded distressed and confused, and a little angry at his own confusion and Jean’s apparent inability to elaborate. It was a good thing the rooms greatly muffled their voices.

“Of course you don’t,” Jean scoffed. His eyes snapped to the door as it opened fully. “Nathaniel. Good. You’re here.”

“What’s going on?” Nathaniel asked, frowning as he made his way to Jean’s side. He spoke in Abeillan too, in case anything needed to be said that they preferred Andrew didn’t hear.

“Nathaniel, I know you’re angry,” Kevin started, “but I just couldn’t stay there any longer. I’m sorry for not telling you beforehand, but you get it, right?”

“No. I don’t,” Nathaniel replied. “I’m still fucking pissed at you. We’re _marked_ , Kevin.” He gestured to the numbers inked on their cheeks. “That’s supposed to mean something.” He didn’t say that there was something in Jean’s anger that was more than his own. It still didn’t make any sense to Nathaniel, but if Kevin was looking for an explanation on Jean’s words, he wasn’t getting any. Whether or not Nathaniel truly knew the answer.

“Let’s go,” Jean said, switching to the common language. “I’m tired and this is doing nothing. Kevin, we _will_ be speaking again.” He passed Andrew on his way out, deliberately knocking his shoulder as he did so. Nathaniel glanced between the two of them, but as always, Andrew betrayed nothing. He stared back at Nathaniel, looking nothing else but considering.

The door closed shut behind them in an ominous way. Nathaniel walked beside Jean. He watched carefully as Jean rolled back his shoulders and started to ease again.

“What happened?” he asked quietly. “What tipped you over?”

“It’s nothing Nathaniel,” Jean bit out.

Nathaniel was getting awfully tired of being kept out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Statice** = hope for success
> 
> Statice actually doesn't mean hope for success, but offering it shows a hope for success. Nathaniel offered it to himself, so he was hoping that they would be able to convince Kevin to go back.  
> And just saying, Dan totally pulled a "She's The Man" and pretended to be a male noble in order to become a knight. Everybody pretty much knows the truth by now, but they're letting Luther and Maria remain oblivious.
> 
> In other news, guess who drew me even more fan art? Once again, still-waiting-for-godot drew [some lovely art](http://still-waiting-for-godot.tumblr.com/post/162425609799/the-fine-line-aka-cindrella-au-by) for this fic! And once again, thank you so much, you are amazing, and I love it.
> 
> Help me celebrate my birthday by making me something and tagging me @a-kingdom-of-foxes on tumblr! (You don't actually have to do that. I'm joking, but it'd be a nice present)
> 
> In all seriousness, hope you enjoyed the chapter! I lowkey hated it about halfway through, but then I started getting into it and my writing started vastly improving. It's currently 2AM, so thank you for reading, and good night!


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